Wine Advisor
Le Petit Mouton 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2014 Le Petit Mouton has quite a sophisticated bouquet with black fruit, black truffle, pencil box and a light marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with a graphite-driven entry, the acidity very well judged, gently building towards an elegant, supple finish that seems to caress the mouth. These days, Le Petit Mouton is equal to many Grand Vin in Pauillac—a remarkable melioration over the last decade.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Le Petit Mouton 2014 is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, a very high percentage of the former, partly due to the higher quality of Merlot that predicated “promotion” into the Grand Vin. It has an intense pencil shaving nose that does not hold back. If you don’t like Cabernet Sauvignon, don’t come near. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannin on the entry. There is part of me wishing that there was some fleshy Merlot to alleviate some of the austerity coming through on the salty finish, though that dominance of Cabernet lends it a rather “old school” feel that I appreciate. Drink this not so small deuxième vin with a Cohiba! (N.B. Unlike the Grand Vin, in the second week the wine was showing a little more succulence on the finish and my scores takes account of this.)
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The Le Petit-Mouton is dark, rich and enveloping. The higher %age of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through in the wine's distinctive savory profile. Vivid and nuanced, the Petit Mouton is everything a second wine should be. A host of inky dark fruit, lavender and savory notes get an extra kick of freshness from the high acidity that is typical of the year.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2014 Le Petit-Mouton reveals soft contours and an open-knit, supple personality that make it an excellent choice for near-term drinking. Plums, crushed flowers, cinnamon, sweet dark berries and tobacco add depth on the forward, racy finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2014 Le Petit Mouton has a deep and powerful bouquet with blackberry, raspberry preserve, cedar and sandalwood, pencil shavings (the latter becoming more and more evident with time in the glass.) The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, plenty of cedar and tar-infused black fruit offset by a fine thread of acidity. It is just missing some depth and fleshiness towards the finish that as a consequence feels a little austere and mean. But I suspect it will improve in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold 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)2012(7)2013(8)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L12 x 75cl3 x 75cl
