Rich, powerful, stylish and expressive. Petit Mouton is always the most exuberant of the First Growth second wines, and here it rewards with layers of spiced black chocolate, cinnamon-laced blackberries, cherry pits, cassis and caramel. This was the vintage that benefitted from Philippe Dhalluin's new regime of tightening production on the main wine, ensuring that certain lots that would have previously been selected for Mouton Rothschild now made it in here. As such, 2005 can be seen as the first vintage of the new era where Petit Mouton has grown to be one of the most sought after second wines of the region, with a clear personality and ageing trajectory. 3.62pH.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 07 Sep 2020)
Part of Bordeaux 2005 second wines: Tasting six of the best

Dark brick-edged red; intense, vivid cedarwood and cassis early bouquet; rich, generous, lively wine with a very fine grained tannin, lovely balance; deep, sweet, juicy cassis based flavour, subtle, complex, aromatic, gently mouthfilling, and with fine sweet length. You feel this really is a ‘petit’ Mouton, a slightly less concentrated version of the Grand Vin. A very classy 2nd wine! So juicy that it is delicious already, though it will of course mellow and integrate further with time. Now – 2035

The Le Petit Mouton 2005 has a ripe, quite intense bouquet: raspberry coulis, sage, cloves and a touch of undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, nicely balanced with a mulberry and red plum finish that is delightful, even if it does not quite have the precision or sophistication of more recent vintages. This is drinking beautifully now but it will continue to cruise for another decade.