Petit Mouton - Pauillac 2017

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, a great second wine

Le Petit Mouton de Rothshild, a product of an exceptional terroir, comes from the youngest vines of this renowned Premier Cru Classé. It is harvested, vinified, and bottled with the same meticulous care: hand-picked grapes, fermentation in the legendary sheep-shaped oak vat, and aging in barrels following traditional methods. Everything is therefore combined to allow the connoisseur to discover the elegance and strength of a great Pauillac.

To pay tribute to the quality of this wine, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild chose a label inspired by a design from the famous poster artist Jean Carlu. This powerfully colored drawing combines the sensuality of shapes with the streamlined geometry of the "Art Decoration" style. It was created in 1927, following the one the artist had designed at the same time for Château Mouton Rothschild.

2017 vintage

Weather conditions:

In 2017, despite a mild winter and below-average precipitation, the Bordeaux region experienced a widespread frost on April 27, except for a few plots of Aile d'Argent in cooler areas. The year was marked by an extended period of drought, which only ended in December.

Spurred by above average temperatures, the vine growth cycle started slightly earlier than usual, at the end of March. Exceptional weather in April and May meant that flowering occurred 10 days earlier than the average for all varieties. After a very wet June, the summer was moderately sunny but dry, increasing a water deficit which started in 2016. As a result, the grapes remained small, with concentrated sugar and colour.
With an early growth cycle and a dry summer, the 2017 harvest was particularly early. It was also exceptionally long, as picking took place over four weeks across the three estates.

Tasting Notes :

The wine has a deep colour with a crimson hue. The nose abounds in fresh fruit aromas with hints of liquorice and pepper. The flavours intensify after a fresh and expressive attack. Well-integrated and elegant tannins reveal a rich and smooth mid palate, contributing to the overall impression of harmony. The long and persistent finish lingers on extremely pure blackcurrant notes.

Wine Advocate

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/17/2020

The 2017 Le Petit Mouton is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with notions of crushed redcurrants, black raspberries and cassis plus hints of rosehip tea, fragrant earth and mossy tree bark, with a waft of raspberry leaves. Medium-bodied, refreshing and elegant, it delivers wonderfully vibrant red and black fruit flavors with a harmonious, grainy texture and a perfumed finish. Drinking Window : 2021 - 2032

Vinous

byAntonio Gallonithe3/11/2020

The 2017 Le Petit-Mouton is endowed with tremendous richness and intensity. Deep, ample and structured, it is brimming with inky red and purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, spice, leather, blood orange, white pepper and wild flowers. The potent, plush 2017 is full of explosive energy that is just waiting to be unleashed. There is tremendous concentration of fruit here, even if the tannins belie some bit of rusticity. It will be interesting to see if the 2017 ultimately softens a bit from here. 92+

Wine Spectator

byJames Molesworththe2/7/2020

A textbook Pauillac, featuring dark currant and blackberry fruit, steeped with notes of pencil shavings, warm cast iron and sweet tobacco. The fleshy finish and latent acidity pull everything together. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030. — JM

Jamessuckling.com

byJames Sucklingthe1/13/2020

Lots of sweet tobacco and wet earth with currants, too. Full body and round, polished tannins that are creamy and beautiful. A little reserved and shy now. A blend of 81% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Second wine of Château Mouton Rothschild. Try in 2022.

Le Point

byJacques Dupontthe6/20/2018

Fruits noirs, un peu d’épices, bonne fraîcheur, charnu, sanguin, bien juteux, fruité éclatant, milieu de bouche dense, finale nette.

Jeb DUNNUCK

91-94

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/12/2018

The saturated purple-colored 2017 Le Petit Mouton Rothschild is a terrific wine and better than the vast majority of top wines out there. The blend in 2017 is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 50% new oak and it should see roughly 18 months in barrel. Cassis, graphite, crushed violets, and Asian spice notes all emerge from this deep, rich, beautifully concentrated wine that has a beautiful voluptuousness and expansive character on the palate.

Vinifera

byJacques Perrinthe5/28/2018

Légèrement réducteur de prime abord, le nez aborde des notes de petits fruits noirs, myrtille, assez mûr, expansif. Bouche puissante et veloutée, fraîche et très croquante, exquise et juteuse, avec un goût de cabernet mûr ravissant. C’est long, sapide, bien construit.

Vinous

90-92

byAntonio Gallonithe5/15/2018

The 2017 Le Petit-Mouton is dense, powerful and luscious. Even with all of its richness, the Petit Mouton possesses terrific structural underpinnings that give the wine its shape and overall persistence. Red cherry jam, wild flowers and sweet spice build into the finish in this decidedly succulent Pauillac. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The late season rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result the total production of Le Petit-Mouton is down around 28%. "After the frost, which did not really affect us, the major challenge in 2017 was heat stress," Mouton Technical Director Philippe Dhalluin told me. "We had no rain until the end of June. Then, in September, when we needed a bit of rain again, we got more than double what would have been optimal. The September rain affected the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, while the Cabernet Sauvignon was able to take advantage of the last 15 days of the growing season, which were much more favorable. In the cellar, we opted for longer macerations at lower temperatures, as we wanted to avoid extracting the type of hard tannins that mark other vintages with very dry summers, such as 2011."

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94

byJeff Levethe5/11/2018

Displaying a deep hue, the wine is full bodied, lush, polished and fresh. There is a depth of flavor, which arises on the palate with an attention-grabbing pageant of blackberries, cassis, tobacco and licorice. Thought-provoking to note the fact that this second wine is superior to every vintage of Mouton Rothschild produced in the 70s and most of the 80s. The exquisite balance was fashioned from 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.75