CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD
2014 1er Cru Classé Pauillac
The intensity here is impressive. Attack is supple, well weighted, dark fruit, but slowly the structure begins to reveal itself, pushing though the nice ripe cherry fruit - a mineral, frame emerges. Firm, chewy tannins too - lots of spice but a truly dense core. Serious, quite tight really and hard to penetrate, chalky feel but long and lithe. Quite a journey - but overall the sensation is big and muscular, with deep underlying fruit. Rating: 94 L&S (Apr 2015)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild is one of the strongest wines from the First Growth in that decade when Philippe Dhalluin nudged quality higher. It has a showstopping bouquet with black fruit laced with freshly rolled tobacco and a touch of forest floor. Wonderful delineation and focus, hints of wild mint developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, one of the most elegant Mouton-Rothschild wines of the era, and lovely poise with a dash of black pepper toward the finish that fans out gloriously. Incontrovertibly, it is one of the finest 2014s in Bordeaux. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2024)
The grilled character on the opening beats is more campfire than gunsmoke, just a little warmer and more evident than with the Lafite, meaning both estates are very much staying true to their character. Here you get waves of peony and rose petals, with raspberry and damson fruits, feels expansive and complex, punctuated by orange peel, pomegranate, leather, espresso, black tea, sweet smoked caramel, with plenty of lift and caressting tannins. Delicious, and growing into a spectacular wine as it ages. 100% new oak, Philippe Dhalluin director. Drinking range: 2024 - 2045 Rating: 98 Jane Anson, Decanter (Feb 2024)
The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild has a really quite fantastic bouquet with intense blackberry, mint, graphite and tobacco aromas that could only come from Pauillac at the top of the pyramid. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, pure blackberry and raspberry fruit laced with cedar and a pinch of black pepper. There is mass and density to this wine that is uncommon in 2014, quite astonishing in length with that tongue tingling with spiciness long after the wine has departed. Contender for wine of the vintage? You bet. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2060 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2018)
Rich and sweet and very forward and beguiling. Lots of interest and life. Pure and salty and with real density. Drinking range: 2023 - 2050 Rating: 18.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)
An exciting, beautifully layered wine, the 2014 Mouton Rothschild is one of the clear highlights of the vintage. A stunning interplay of crème de cassis, graphite, menthol, sage, mocha, dark chocolate and leather takes of all the senses. The 2014 is dark, voluptuous racy. Above all else, it speaks to a total sense of balance. The blend is 81 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Merlot and 3 % Cabernet Franc. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2017)
This delivers a large core of pure, unadorned cassis, accented by notes of anise, plum cake, mint and bitter plum coulis. The core has serious heft, supported easily by a riveting iron spine that shows superb length through the finish. A prodigious display of power and cut. Best from 2022 through 2040. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2017)
Very pure, with a core of cassis and plum fruit infused with a bright anise note, draped over a solid structure. Iron-edged grip pulls everything into focus. Drinking range: 2020 - 2030 Rating: 92 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Jan 2017)
The Château Mouton-Rothschild 2014 contains more tannin than the 2010 according to winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, although he stressed that this does not imply that they were finer tannin. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and it will of course, be matured in 100% new oak. The alcohol level just tops 13%, the first time since 2010. It has a classic Mouton nose, the slightly higher percentage of Merlot lending a little flamboyance and flair with scents of blackberry, warm gravel and cigar box scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, armed with powerful core of quite rich black fruit interlaced with tobacco and allspice. There is very good structure here, a fine edginess towards the white pepper infused finish. There is almost a nuttiness to this wine, to wit, a fascinating maze-like Mouton in the making and perhaps a more cerebral Mouton compared to recent vintages. Tasted twice, almost two weeks apart, with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2020 - 2040 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2015)
Dark and enveloping to the core, the 2014 Mouton Rothschild opens with beguiling scents of violet, new leather, dark spice and plum. There is plenty of tannin lurking beneath, but the overall impression is of fleshiness and seamlessness, with the 100% new oak also beautifully balanced for such a young wine. Layers of flavor build to the effortless, concentrated finish in a sexy Mouton that is likely to reward consumers with many years of fine drinking. I very much like the sense of balance here. Rating: 93-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2015)
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep crimson. Fragrant almost soapy nose. (Fine soap!) Good direct fruit and confidence but very much in a minor key. Almost recalls Latour in its lighter, fresher style. No sweetness. No perceptible alcohol. Easy and relaxed. Only medium weight. Certainly not opulent. Brisk finish. I may be underrating this and look forward to retasting it in Bordeaux in July. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 17.5+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2015)
Explosively floral nose – the usual exotic Mouton fruit underlined by very ripe 16% Merlot. The classic 'iron fist in a velvet glove', with ripe tannins and marvellous structure. Its true qualities will need time to show. (Outstanding Pauillac, Decanter.) Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 95+ Steven Spurrier (Apr 2015)
The floral mix on the nose has lots of charm with red fruits and black fruits giving complexity. Sweet and rich at the start lots of cassis some firmer black cherry with at the back bramble and red fruit freshness the finish lighter fragrant with length of fruit. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 93-96 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (Apr 2015)
A rich, yet backward Mouton, this is denser and more powerful than the other First Growths in 2014, but perhaps doesn’t have quite the same finesse. Cedarwood, aromatic herbs, some mocha and cassis, with plush tannins and a smooth, persistent finish. (One of Tim's Top 10 Left Bank Reds.) Drinking range: 2024 - 2035 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2015)
This captures the pure, distilled essence of Cabernet Sauvignon, with a racy core of red and black currant fruit that almost struts alone, but there's ample roasted apple wood and iron deeply buried in the background, which should emerge with time. The finish has terrific delineation, with a mouth-watering edge despite clearly abundant tannins. The focus on purity in this wine is what's most impressive over the last several vintages. Rating: 95-98 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2015)
This is incredibly minerally with a maritime character as well as red iodine, algae, currants and great intensity. Some saltiness. Almost like a pearl in an oyster shell. This is a true wine of the soil for Mouton. Full body, racy tannins and lingering. Excellent. Unique. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot and 4% cabernet franc. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2015)
Château Mouton Rothschild
1855 classification (revised 1973) - Premier Grand Cru Classé The Ségur family, who owned at one time both Lafite and Latour, and had a hand briefly in Haut Brion, also owned Mouton for two years. They sold it to Joseph de Brane in 1720 and the estate was re-christened Brane-Mouton. Unfortunately, it was an estate without a château, the buildings having been sold seperately to Dominique Armailhacq and forming the nucleus of what is today Château d'Armailhac. Under the de Brane family, Mouton steadily gathered a reputation for its wine, with prices nearly equalling the best estates of the day. The de Branes sold Mouton in 1830 and the new owners failed to keep up the previous high standards. In 1853, Brane-Mouton became Mouton-Rothschild when Nathaniel Rothschild purchased the estate, and Mouton-Rothschild started its steady rise to become one of the world's iconic wines. Not iconic enough in 1855 to be granted Premier Grand Cru Classé - a slight described by Baron Phiippe as "the monstrous injustice". It was said that the recent sale of the estate to an Englishman prevented Mouton's recognition among the elite, the truth is probably more complicated. However, the "monstrous injustice" was corrected in 1973 with a unprecedented revision of the 1855 classification raising Château Mouton Rothschild to First Growth status. The Rothschild era at Mouton has seen continuous improvement. Astoundingly, it took until the latter half of the 19th Century for anyone to build an actual château at Mouton-Rothschild when Baron James built the Petit Mouton. An iconic estate deserves an iconic character, and he arrived in 1922 when Baron Philippe de Rothschild toopk over, assuming full ownership in 1947 when he bought out his brothers. A new chais was built and all of the wines were estate bottled, something not common at the time. Baron Philippe bought the neighbouring Château Mouton-Armailhacq in 1933, renaming it Château Mouton Baron Philippe (now Château d'Armailhac). From younger vines of his two estates, Baron Philippe created the popular Bordeaux brand Mouton Cadet. To celebrate the end of WWII, during which time Baron Philippe had had to escape from Vichy imprisonment to join the Free French forces in England, and the German military had taken over Château Mouton Rothschild, the 1945 vintage was bottled with a "V for Victory" label. Thereafter, a new label was designed every year by a contemporary artist, the labels becoming every bit as collectable as the wine. The vineyards sit on a raised mound known as a "motte", from which it is presumed the name Mouton derives. Mouton-Rothschild sits immediately to the south of Lafite. For red wines the 75ha of vineyards are planted to 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with a little Petit Verdot. Wines are fermented in barrique and aged for 22 months before bottling. A second wine was introduced in 1993 - Le Petit Mouton with old-fashioned looking label that was designed by Jean Carlu who had designed the Mouton-Rothschild label in use before the War. A small amount of white wine - Aile d'Argent - is produced from mostly Sauvignon Blanc.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.