It’s not very romantic to describe wine as an investment, but any mention of a wine like Mouton-Rothschild requires at least a passing mention of its unmatched longevity and guaranteed ROI. We don’t have enough of today’s 2007 for you to hoard a bunch for resale someday down the line, but then again, we’d much rather you drink it than monetize it.
As is to be expected, there’s a wealth of critical analysis of this wine/vintage to pore over, much of advising you to pull the cork and enjoy this gorgeous, aristocratic wine now (or at least soon). While we are inclined to agree, this is still Mouton-Rothschild—and Pauillac—we’re talking about: Driven by a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, this may well be the most successful First Growth of the vintage and still has a decade-plus of flattering evolution ahead of it. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or somewhat new to this very top tier of Bordeaux, a wine like this is an event: you’ll forever remember where you were, and who you were with, when you drank it. We recently received a tiny allocation of impeccable provenance and can offer 2 bottles per customer until our supply runs out; if you’ve got any special events in the near term, this is as special as it gets!
This iconic wine estate took its current name when the dynastic Rothschild family acquired it in 1853. It had previously been part of an even-larger noble fiefdom that included fellow Pauillac First Growths Lafite and Latour. The key figure in Mouton’s long history is the art-loving, mutton-chopped Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who took over the management of the château in 1922, at age 20, and “reigned” until 1988 (he was relentless, and ultimately successful, in getting Mouton elevated to First Growth status). In addition to constructing the property’s legendary Great Barrel Hall and creating an art museum on the property, Baron Philippe became well-known for Opus One, his partnership with Napa’s Robert Mondavi, which was created in 1979. His only child, the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, was the modern-day face of the château until she passed away in 2014. The property remains in family hands.
Mouton-Rothschild is, of course, known for commissioning important contemporary artists to create its labels (among them Picasso, Dalí, and Francis Bacon). The label for the 2007 vintage was designed by French sculptor and graphic artist Bernar Venet, whose drawing depicts a series of raw steel bars (which he used in his sculptures) bent in shapes resembling wine-barrel staves.
The vineyard of Mouton-Rothschild is a fairly contiguous 90-hectare site on a low plateau close the Gironde River in Pauillac. Soils are deep gravel with sand, with a varietal mix of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and a smattering of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grand vin ferments in large wooden vats and ages a minimum of 20 months in pristine, 100% new French oak barriques. Today’s 2007 has not moved from the warehouse in which it was stored since it first arrived direct from the château close to a decade ago.
This perfect provenance is reflected in a wine still blessed with a deep, nearly opaque garnet core moving to crimson and burnt orange at the rum. Although the tannins have clearly softened with time, the wine still has an aristocratic, upright bearing at about 10 years of age. Deeply evocative Pauillac aromas of black plum, blackberry, wild strawberry, licorice, cedar, graphite, and tobacco need some initial coaxing but then come on strong after the wine takes on some air. Medium-plus in body, it is deeply concentrated without being juicy; while the fruit is perfectly ripe it is not sappy-sweet, but rather entwined with a deep, smoky earthiness that lingers on the long and satisfying finish. I’d suggest decanting this bottle (for sediment) about 15-30 minutes before enjoying it at 60-65 in large Bordeaux stems. It will unfold in the glass for hours, so do your best to take it slow and enjoy that evolution. It should be even more intriguing 10 years from now, if kept well. The attached filet mignon preparation is suitably luxurious—and earthy—for a wine of such regal stature. Enjoy!
