BORDEAUX, France — Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild both excelled in 2006, making stunning wines. I actually preferred Mouton’s 2006 to its 2005. Despite their geographic proximity in Pauillac (within a few minutes by car of one another) and a very similar varietal makeup, the wines are very different.
The 2006 Lafite (95-100 points), a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, 82 percent, Merlot, 16 percent, and Cabernet Franc, 2 percent, has all the elegance and finesse for which that property is known. Despite the ripeness and concentration, the overall impression of grandeur sneaks up on you as you taste. It reveals itself slowly. The floral, expressive nose, incredible length and fine tannins suggest it will develop very well.
The 2006 Mouton (95-100 points), a blend solely of Cabernet Sauvignon, 87 percent, and Merlot, is a balanced powerhouse that grabs your attention upon first smell and taste. Despite its power, it’s a beautifully balanced wine with — as with Lafite — fine, not aggressive, tannins. It has the classic combination of minerality and ripe black fruit flavors with an exotic component thrown in. The finish seems endless.
The team at Mouton, Hervé Berland; Philippe Dhalluin, Managing Director and Estates Winemaker; and Éric Tourbier, Mouton’s Technical Director, attribute their success in 2006 to a very strict selection in the vineyard and at the sorting table to eliminate unripe or diseased grapes.
They are focusing on using fruit from the historic core of the property, which produces the best wine. Only 44 percent of the production went into the Grand Vin. Le Petit Mouton — not so petit at all in 2006 — was also excellent (90-95 points) and comprised 15 percent of the production. An amazing 41 percent of Mouton’s production went elsewhere into a wine bottled under a Pauillac appellation.
Photo: Our man Michael Apstein works his way through the Bordeaux 2006 vintage.
2