Excellent cork condition. Very deep garnet. Almost Opaque, black colour with a glint. Decanted at 4.30 pm. Started drinking 2 hours later. I had a 375ml a year ago and it performed better much quicker. It was different this time. It was tight, lacking aroma and more tannic than usual. At first, I questioned the high price I paid for this well-rated first growth for the 2012 vintage in Bordeaux. It needed a lot of air and patience. It noticeably opened and became more perfumed over time, in incremental blocks of 15m. If finally became ready at the 4-hour mark. By then the wine has become very smooth, aromatic and balanced. Taste of black tea, vanilla, black fruits, cigar box, cream and liquorice. The finishing is long. A well-made full-bodied wine with good balance, length, concentration and complexity. The tannins suggest the wine can be aged for decades. Very blessed to enjoy this on the first day of 2024. We had the wine with prime Japanese A5 Kobe Wagyu, grilled prawns and a spread of cheese including camembert, truffle gouda, reypenaer V.S.O.P and aged cedar cheese. A really memorable dinner. Not the best PQR compared to other labels in Pauillac, e.g. Pichon Baron 2012 which I tried a year ago, but Mouton stood out as a better quality wine.
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Color: Dark Ruby with some bricking on the edge, not as opaque as the Screaming Eagle... you could tell this was a Bdx (or blend) vs the pure Cab... Nose: medium-high, this flew out of the glass and sang loud and clear "I am Bordeaux!" much more nuanced and layered with dark fruits, spices, maybe a little coffee, graphite ... not too much forest floor (I call it Bordeaux funk) kept opening up over the 2 hours... a clear distinction between this and the Screaming Eagle, both exceptional in their own way. Palate: Precision, this is really clean and fresh. Medium dry, medium acidity and alcohol, not overwhelming and well integrated, nice fine silky tannins, does not coat the mouth like the SE did but keeps giving. Still on the younger side. Finish: Super nice, 30 seconds...
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We had it at Christmasday with a roasted duck. It was the first bottle of a brand new case of 6. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The best was the texture with silky, fully integrated tannins - really smooth high-class stuff! The nose was quite hidden, best after about 30 minutes after decanting, but not evolving after: cassis, some fruit. The palate was not overhelming either: Surely a very good wine, but neither young and fruity nor ripe and earthy. I am not able to give a more precise description - because there wasn‘t much more to describe. A Clerc Milon 2009 a few weeks ago gave me much more pleasure. I guess Mouton 2012 and I just met in a closed down window. I will give it another 5 years before I will taste it again.
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Mouton Rothschild Vertical: Youthful. Not ready for drinking yet. Medium nose intensity with notes of vanilla, violet, chocolate, coffee, cassis, toast and spices. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Did not decant. Will improve with ageing.
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1/1/2024 - NMIZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent cork condition. Very deep garnet. Almost Opaque, black colour with a glint. Decanted at 4.30 pm. Started drinking 2 hours later. I had a 375ml a year ago and it performed better much quicker. It was different this time. It was tight, lacking aroma and more tannic than usual. At first, I questioned the high price I paid for this well-rated first growth for the 2012 vintage in Bordeaux. It needed a lot of air and patience. It noticeably opened and became more perfumed over time, in incremental blocks of 15m. If finally became ready at the 4-hour mark. By then the wine has become very smooth, aromatic and balanced. Taste of black tea, vanilla, black fruits, cigar box, cream and liquorice. The finishing is long. A well-made full-bodied wine with good balance, length, concentration and complexity. The tannins suggest the wine can be aged for decades. Very blessed to enjoy this on the first day of 2024. We had the wine with prime Japanese A5 Kobe Wagyu, grilled prawns and a spread of cheese including camembert, truffle gouda, reypenaer V.S.O.P and aged cedar cheese. A really memorable dinner. Not the best PQR compared to other labels in Pauillac, e.g. Pichon Baron 2012 which I tried a year ago, but Mouton stood out as a better quality wine.
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12/27/2023 - JPF16 Likes this wine: 95 Points
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Color: Dark Ruby with some bricking on the edge, not as opaque as the Screaming Eagle... you could tell this was a Bdx (or blend) vs the pure Cab...
Nose: medium-high, this flew out of the glass and sang loud and clear "I am Bordeaux!" much more nuanced and layered with dark fruits, spices, maybe a little coffee, graphite ... not too much forest floor (I call it Bordeaux funk) kept opening up over the 2 hours... a clear distinction between this and the Screaming Eagle, both exceptional in their own way.
Palate: Precision, this is really clean and fresh. Medium dry, medium acidity and alcohol, not overwhelming and well integrated, nice fine silky tannins, does not coat the mouth like the SE did but keeps giving. Still on the younger side.
Finish: Super nice, 30 seconds...
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12/25/2023 - Château Merci-Beaucoup wrote: 90 Points
We had it at Christmasday with a roasted duck.
It was the first bottle of a brand new case of 6.
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. The best was the texture with silky, fully integrated tannins - really smooth high-class stuff! The nose was quite hidden, best after about 30 minutes after decanting, but not evolving after: cassis, some fruit. The palate was not overhelming either: Surely a very good wine, but neither young and fruity nor ripe and earthy. I am not able to give a more precise description - because there wasn‘t much more to describe.
A Clerc Milon 2009 a few weeks ago gave me much more pleasure.
I guess Mouton 2012 and I just met in a closed down window.
I will give it another 5 years before I will taste it again.
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11/3/2023 - Sean Tay wrote: 95 Points
Mouton Rothschild Vertical: Youthful. Not ready for drinking yet. Medium nose intensity with notes of vanilla, violet, chocolate, coffee, cassis, toast and spices. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Did not decant. Will improve with ageing.
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10/14/2023 - denisontb Likes this wine: 95 Points
Enjoyed with Yun and friends over dinner. Fantastic!
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