Winemaker Notes
The color, shading to orange at the rim, is entirely typical of the vintage. The nose exhales a whole host of aromas, beginning with mint then progressing with airing to notes of tobacco, leather, humus, cigar box and fruit in alcohol. Round on the palate, what it lacks in structure it makes up for in harmony; well-integrated, with elegant tannins, it displays highly refined oak and attractive spice and pepper notes. The finish, without being especially powerful, strikes a fine balance between refinement and flavor, giving an overall impression of charm.
About the Label Artwork
Per Kirkeby (1938-2018) born in Copenhagen, studied natural history then geology. Throughout his life he has worked in a wide variety of artistic fields, publishing poetry, novels and art criticism even though he had become a well-known painter. Kirkeby is a believer in colour for building both form and contrast. It is the powerful, tormented colours determining the mass and balance of his compositions. They have a surging, lyrical quality, the most profound individualism in perfect harmony with the world he represents.
His pictures are highly demanding: they show nature as dense and savage, patterned with fault-lines, a violent, element presence.
For the 1992 Mouton Rothschild label, Kirkeby has drawn the outline of a gigantic wine glass, overflowing with dark red wine, set against a distorted landscape where the rays of the sun
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.