Decadent and rich aromas of black cherries and plums with wet earth and sandalwood. Turns to dried mushrooms. Full-bodied, tight and closed with big, polished tannins, yet this is very closed and shy right now. Despite this, underneath it shows such depth and beauty. Tangy acidity. This is a combination of 2005 and 2009. Try it in 2024.

The crème de la crème from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Mouton Rothschild and this incredible wine flirts with perfection. Made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, this inky purple-colored effort offers sensational Cabernet flare in its crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, floral, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. It is full-bodied, dense, and incredibly concentrated, yet still has the sexy, opulent, seductive style of the vintage front and center. It will be a candidate for perfection in 10-12 years and is going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Hats off to Philippe Dhalluim and his team for this incredible effort that’s a step up over just about every other northern Médoc out there!

The 2015 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 100% new oak with a mid-July 2017 bottling. Deep garnet-purple colored, this Mouton pulls off an incredibly impactful entrance, emerging from the glass with profound notes of blackberry preserves, plum pudding, crème de cassis and grilled meats, featuring perfectly accessorized accents of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and fenugreek with wafts of dried roses, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with rich, ripe black fruits sparked with blue and red fruit undertones and an incredible structure of very firm, very ripe tannins, with seamless freshness and an epically long, earth-laced finish. Possessing striking natural beauty framed by impeccable crafting, this 2015 is a total diva and well worth attention. Give it a good 7-8 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Interim Issue Mid-February 2018, The Wine Advocate

The 2015 Mouton Rothschild has a deep, almost opaque color. The nose is very intense and extraordinarily backward: blackberry, graphite (in fact, more like a big box of pencil shavings), hints of blueberry, violet and a splash of Indian ink. It must surely constitute one of the most penetrating aromatics this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannin that forms the arching structure of this Mouton, with layers of rich black fruit reined in by the killer line of acidity. This is ineffably pure and delineated toward the finish with an effervescent finish that leaves a stupid grin on your face. Together with that brilliant label by Gerhard Richter, this is a must-have in your cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2028 - 2060.– eRobertParker.com, Feb 2018

In 2015, Mouton Rothschild is fabulous. A big, towering wine, the 2015 makes its presence felt with layers of super-ripe dense fruit and striking textural resonance that carries all the way through to the finish. The 2015 is much more reticent from bottle than it was from barrel, which is not at all surprising, but is something readers should take into account. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 Mouton is a wine of classically inspired proportions. I can't wait to taste it in another 15-20 years. The 2015 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that spend 19 months in 100% new French oak. vinous.com, February 2018

The only château ever to be upgraded to First Growth status (in 1973), Mouton Rothschild is iconic both inside and outside the bottle. Dense, intense and complex nose. Engaging. Pure blackcurrant, cassis, lead pencil. Textbook. Expressive. Supple but concentrated, latent power, seamless. Such vibrancy and decadent fruit but still focused and linear. Power and elegance. (82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc.) – (April 2016)

Offers a prodigious core of steeped fig, black currant and blackberry compote flavors, enmeshed with notes of smoldering tobacco, charcoal and licorice. Broad, deep and long, with a deep foundation of graphite through the finish. Despite the heft, this manages to show off some purity too. JM

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 57% of the crop.
Very majestic nose. Obviously first-growth quality. Savoury and plush in terms of texture. Restrained without being a wimp. Lovely scent. Dry finish but with some of Mouton's opulence before then. Very fine. Very exciting. Some saline sap as well as all the ripe fruit.
Drink 2025-2045 – jancisrobinson.com, April 2016