Viniou Reviews
Le Petit Mouton 2020 from Château Mouton Rothschild is the esteemed second wine of this renowned Pauillac estate, crafted with the meticulous care that has made its grand vin legendary. The blend, typical of the appellation, is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc. The 2020 vintage benefited from a year of balanced weather, offering ripe concentration while maintaining freshness. Vinification follows traditional Bordeaux methods, with precision at every stage: careful sorting of grapes, fermentation in stainless steel and wooden vats, and ageing in French oak barrels, many of them new, for added complexity and refinement. This results in a wine of deep garnet colour, with pronounced aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, cedar wood, and hints of graphite. The palate is both powerful and elegant, with supple tannins, lively acidity, and a lingering, finely spiced finish—a superb illustration of the Pauillac style.
The Pauillac region, located on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, is celebrated for producing wines of remarkable structure and ageing potential. Its terroir is defined by deep gravel soils over limestone, ensuring good drainage and imparting a distinctive mineral backbone to the wines. The moderate, oceanic climate allows slow, even ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape that thrives here like nowhere else. Pauillac’s history is intertwined with that of Bordeaux’s great châteaux, with a legacy dating back centuries, producing some of the world’s most collectable wines.
For food pairings, Le Petit Mouton’s youthful vibrancy and structure complement classic French cuisine. Think of roasted lamb with rosemary, ribeye steak, duck breast with blackcurrant sauce or earthy mushroom-based dishes. Regional specialities such as entrecôte à la bordelaise, featuring a bone-in rib steak with a richly reduced red wine and shallot sauce, are especially harmonious. Mature hard cheeses such as Comté or aged Gouda will also make worthy counterparts.
Serve this wine after letting it breathe for an hour or so, ideally at 16-18°C. While approachable in its youth for its plush fruit, Le Petit Mouton 2020 will reward cellaring over the next 8-12 years, developing further complexity and finesse.
