Château Mouton Rothschild 2006

Refinement and aromatic intensity, an alluring Pauillac First Growth

The estate

In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at an auction. Located in the heart of the Médoc, in Pauillac, he renamed the estate Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the running of the estate. A true pioneer, he decided to start bottling directly on the estate and designed the label of the wine. 1973 marked the year when Château Mouton Rothschild became a Premier Cru Classé. Iconic in the Pauillac appellation, Château Mouton Rothschild has made fine Bordeaux wines shine throughout the world.

The vineyard

Situated to the north-west of Bordeaux, in the Médoc, Château Mouton Rothschild’s vineyard spreads across 90 hectares. The vines are planted on gravelly soils that retain the heat and release it during the night, thus favouring the ripening of the grapes. These poor, draining soils rest on a clay-gravel subsoil, giving the wines by Château Mouton Rothschild a unique powerful, elegant and tannic structure.

The label

For the 2006 vintage, Mouton Rothschild chose British artist Lucian Freud, born in Berlin and grandson of the famous founder of psychoanalysis. Renowned for his portraits with intense and complex materials, Freud here adopts a lighter and more whimsical style. His illustration offers a joyously exotic vision of the pleasure of drinking: the vine stock transforms into an exuberant palm tree, while the lover of great wines takes on the traits of a zebra with a mischievous and gourmet look. A work full of humor and freshness, which celebrates wine as a source of happiness and escape.

The vintage

The winter months were marked by heavy rainfall and the dry, warm weather conditions during spring were ideal and favoured a rapid and even vegetative development. Flowering was early, as was veraison, which was slowed down from mid-July due to the heavy temperatures. Although the drop in temperature in August slowed down the ripening of the grapes, it accelerated considerably thanks to the heat waves recorded at the beginning of September. The grapes harvested from September 20th to October 5th were very high quality and in excellent condition.

The blend

Cabernet Sauvignon (87%)

Merlot (13%)

Château Mouton Rothschild 2006: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

Dark, with an intense cherry-red colour.

Nose

Complex, the nose mixes fruity fragrances (blueberry) with milky and smoky notes (blond tobacco, incense, roasted hazelnut).

Palate

A precise and harmonious attack precedes a powerful palate. Crunchy and refined, the tannins are combined with a creamy feel and a pleasant smoothness.