Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe cassis, black raspberries, chocolate, spicy and smoky graphite nuances all define the 2025 Le Petit Mouton De Mouton, the second wine of Mouton Rothschild and in the running for the top second wine in the vintage. Based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that's resting in 50% new oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe, pure, precise tannins, and a great finish. It's one hell of a second wine.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
James Suckling
Open and juicy with a plush nature as well as a noticeable ripeness, yet it's only 13% alcohol. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, velvety tannins and a savory, flavorful finish. Juicy and layered. Structured. Plenty of blackberry and blueberry character. A blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.
Barrel Sample: 95-96 -
Decanter
Lovely fragrance, raspberry flowers. Creamy, aromatic, expressive. Supple and fleshy at first, the tannins gripping and present in the mouth but the acidity takes over giving this tension and direction. Quite a linear Petit, a more serious and defined one with a wet stone salinity on the fish alongside liquorice and tobacco. Quiet. Has amplitude and breadth at the beginning, really a nice texture to begin with although I think ageing will really help this soften and become more charming. Nice potential. 3% of Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2025 Le Petit Mouton offers up aromas of dark berries, mint and toasty new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and ample palate that's broad and muscular, built around plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. It's a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Cabernet France and 3% Petit Verdot.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Vinous
The 2025 Le Petit-Mouton has a very intense nose, blackberry and cassis mixed with violet and a touch of wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied, with pliant tannins, fine acidity, quite spicy on the mid-palate with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper, nicely focused with a classically styled finish. It will need two to three years in bottle. –Neal Martin
Barrel Sample: 91-3
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.