Château Mouton Rothschild 2012

2012 Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac

97 points James Suckling What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. (11/2015)

97 points Wine Enthusiast This is a beautifully opulent wine, great Mouton in its richness and succulent fruits. It’s combines structure and obvious new-wood aging with hugely ripe black plum and currant flavors. While it is a pleasure to taste now, there is a great tannic structure in the background to give the sense of power and aging potential. *Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2015* (RV) (5/2015)

96 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down – vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. (NM) (1/2017)

95 points Decanter Wonderful expression of ‘patrician’ black fruits, the expected exotic seduction of Mouton, a perfect blend of power and elegance. (SS) (2/2019)

94 points Vinous The 2012 Mouton Rothschild continues to open up nicely. Forward, open and quite expressive, the 2012 looks like a wine that will drink well sooner rather than later. Dark cherry, plum, graphite, smoke and mocha meld into the inviting finish. The 2012 is not a huge wine, but it will open up sooner than some of the surrounding vintages. Time has only been a help for this open-knit, distinctly fruit-driven Mouton. The 2012 is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc harvested during the first fifteen days of October. (AG) (5/2016)

94 points Wine Spectator This is starting to mellow already, featuring dark fig and blackberry notes infused liberally with black tea and smoldering tobacco accents. Shows a light loamy echo through the finish, with a flash of menthol. Offers ample flesh throughout, with a slightly grainy edge to the tannins. (JM, Web-2017) (3/2017)

K&L Notes **1/2 Brisk, high-toned aromas of spicy Cabernet Sauvignon with a hint of dark chocolate. The tannins are tame–a key element in 2012–and you can taste in the wine that the extraction was not pushed too hard, as it has a very natural freshness. A nice and very elegantly styled Mouton. (Ralph Sands, K&L Bordeaux expert)