Winemaker Notes
The wine is a dark red, shading to orange at the rim, while the nose reveals notes of wax and fruit, especially raspberry and cherry, with aromas of humus and leather. The attack is elegant, still with a touch of freshness. There is vanilla on the palate, the tannins are well-integrated, the texture is silky. This is a beautifully harmonious wine, with a finish on ripe fruit and spice flavors.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc
About the Label Artwork
The Swiss painter Hans Erni (1909-2015) was born in Lucerne, and after an early interest in abstract painting, became largely concerned with humanitarian problems which by the end of the war led him to commit himself to the political Left. Often making use of allegory and employing figures both from Greek mythology and the present day, Erni’s Symbolic Realism shows large, powerful forms drawn with a precision of line that borders at times on pure geometry.
His skill as a portrait painter is evident from his design for the Mouton Rothschild 1987 label. Transforming his sitter into a symbol, Erni has managed to capture the radiant creative energy of Baron Philippe de Rothschild in what was to be a final tribute.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.
While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.
Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.
Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.