2016 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the latter two varieties vinified together, so small was the crop. As you might expect the élevage was in 100% new oak, for 18 months. Tasted at the estate after Château d’Armailhac and Château Clerc-Milon, this feels decisively darker and more concentrated than the other Rothschild wines. The nose is very different, showing a very fine combination of perfumed crushed-limestone rocks, with a seam of toasted oak, and a silky presence of dark and savoury fruits. The palate seems so composed and integrated, it feels almost effortless and pure as it rests in the mouth, with a broad wealth of super-cool fruit, wrapped up and lifted by the spice of the Mouton oak, while underneath there surges a fresh and defining streak of acidity. The tannins seem almost imperceptible, so tightly knit and silky are they, their presence suggested only at the finish of the palate, where the wine floors you with a flourish of complex flavours, all tobacco, toast, cigar box and grilled cherry fruit. Only at the very end do you realise there are also tannins here, which serve to wrap up the finish in a more confident manner. This is beautifully composed, an absolute stunner.