2015 Château Mouton-Rothschild, 1er Cru Pauillac

Very racy and refined with super polished tannins and focused dark fruits. Blackberry, orange peel, and black currants. Full. Very long and through provoking. A wine that delivers power and finesse. Juicy and fresh.

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.

A bold, dramatic wine, the 2015 Mouton-Rothschild sweeps across the palate with remarkable depth. Seemingly endless layers seem to open as the 2015 fills out its broad, ample frame. The tannins are silky and creamy, which give the 2015 much of its voluptuous, inviting personality, while the finish is both remarkably vivid and persistent. This is an especially dark, powerful Mouton. Tasted two times.

The 2015 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc matured entirely in new oak, as usual. This represents a relatively high percentage of Merlot simply because, as winemaker Philippe Dhalluin told me, that quality was so good. I afforded my sample four to five minutes to open as it was a little reduced at first, but eventually it reveals a gorgeous, extraordinarily intense bouquet of blackberry, cassis, incense and cold slate aromas. In some ways it reminds me of Latour as much as Mouton Rothschild. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, wonderful tension and impressive length. There is a strong graphite theme running through from start to finish that is little grainy and so it will require preferably a decade in cellar. But what freshness and panache here, a classic Mouton-Rothschild that will live for 50 or 60 years, not a million miles away from say, the 1986 or 2010. Expect this to settle at the top of my banded score once in bottle.