Château Mouton-Rothschild 2023

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Mouton Rothschild unwinds in the glass with a rich bouquet of dark berries, cedar box, cigar wrapper and violets, framed by a generous application of toasty oak. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a broad attack and a deep, layered, ample mid-palate, it's a fleshy, muscular wine, built around youthfully chalky tannins that will reward some bottle age.

At just over 80 hectares planted to vine, Mouton Rothschild, with its deep gravel soils, preponderance of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon and distinctive style, is one of Bordeaux's most characterful wines. Today, under technical director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy (who took the reins after stints at Opus One and Clerc Milon), the estate doesn't rest on its laurels: Mouton now hosts its very own research-and-development department, with its own experimental winery, and all sorts of projects are underway. In the vineyards, canopy management is being adapted on a site-by-site basis, with higher or lower hedging depending on the soils' hydrological profile; cover crops are increasingly part of the estate's strategy; drainage is being optimized in certain parcels; and a massal-selection program, housed in an in-house nursery, has been launched. In the winery, the parcel-by-parcel approach continues.

Jeb Dunnuck

Another ultra-classic, virtually perfect Mouton from this team, the 2023 Château Mouton Rothschild sports a darker plum/purple hue as well as stunning aromatics of blackcurrants, graphite, chocolate, spicy wood, and smoke. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with ripe, polished tannins, beautiful overall balance, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's a sensational 2023 with so much to love, and I'd gladly drink a bottle today, yet this will age gracefully for 30-40 years. Drink 2026-2060.

James Suckling

A deep and generous red with red and black currants, black truffles and blue fruit. Full-bodied and spicy but still in balance. Luscious and flamboyant, then it tightens at the end. The fruit is very transparent and verges on exotic. but then it holds back with the tannins. It's so velvety and integrated. It changes all the time in the glass. 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. Best after 2030.

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux