Wine Advisor
Le Petit Mouton 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2012 Le Petit Mouton represents 38% of the crop, which is much higher than the normal 25% that usually makes it into the second wine. Composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, it reveals similar black currant liqueur notes, but they are less intense and pervasive. Administrator Philippe Dhalluin has fashioned a wonderfully opulent, round, juicy Petit Mouton exhibiting plenty of chocolaty notes intermixed with a subtle hint of oak offered in a lush, easily understood style. Enjoy this charming, endearing Le Petit Mouton over the next 15+ years. Mouton Rothschild has produced one of the vintage's most profound wines in 2012, and possibly the -wine of the Medoc.- About 49% of the production made it into the 2012 Mouton, which is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The harvest took place during the middle two weeks of October. This may be one of the few 2012s that comes close to equaling what was achieved in both 2009 and 2010, two far superior vintages.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted twice en primeur at Mouton-Rothschild. The Petit Mouton is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It has a very austere nose for Petit Mouton with strong dry tobacco and graphite aromas – more like Latour than Mouton! The palate is medium-bodied with juicy black fruit laced with minerals and tobacco. This has impressive volume and length for a Le Petit Mouton with a sweet finish of small dark cherries and hints of vanilla pod. It displays fine delineation throughout. It will not be a long-term wine, but it should offer much pleasure from five or six years. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2012 Le Petit Mouton de Rothschild (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc) shows loads of charcoal, burning embers, a nice hint of dark chocolate and blackcurrants. It is fleshy and medium-bodied, with up-front fruit and density. This second wine of Mouton has certainly gone from strength to strength under the administration of Philippe Dhalluin. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2012 Petit-Mouton is a pleasant, open-knit wine to drink now and over the next few years. Bold and juicy, but also a bit rough around the edges, the Petit offers quite a bit of up-front appeal. Game, smoke, tobacco, licorice and dried herbs are some of the notes that linger on the close.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2012 Le Petit Mouton has a lovely, warm and inviting bouquet with red cherries, cranberry, cedar and a light brush of cassis. Lovely purity here. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant, fleshy tannins, fine acidity, plush with black plum, allspice and light cedar and mint notes towards the finish. It is exactly what you want from a Deuxième Vin. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
About the Producer
The history of Château Mouton Rothschild dates back to the mid-19th century when Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild purchased the estate in Pauillac, a commune in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France. The estate's vineyards were already well-established at the time, but Rothschild invested heavily in modernizing and expanding the winery, including building new cellars and importing new grape varieties. Le Petit Mouton, which translates to "The Little Sheep" in English, is a second wine produced by Château Mouton Rothschild. Second wines are made from grapes that come from younger vines or from less prestigious vineyard parcels than the grand vin, the top wine produced by the winery. Le Petit Mouton was first introduced in 1993 as a way to showcase the quality of the estate's younger vines and to create a more accessible wine that could be enjoyed earlier than the grand vin, which typically requires several years of aging. Since its introduction, Le Petit Mouton has become a highly regarded wine in its own right, known for its rich flavors, elegant structure, and approachability. The wine is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot grapes, and is aged in French oak barrels for around 16 months before bottling. The label features a whimsical illustration of a little sheep, a nod to the wine's name and to the estate's long history of using animal motifs on its labels.
1994(1)1996(2)2003(1)2005(4)2006(2)2007(9)2008(3)2009(6)2010(9)2011(5)
Package Size
12 x 75cl3 x 1.5L
