Château Mouton Rothschild (2000)

About this wine

The 2000 Château Mouton Rothschild is a classic Pauillac blend of about 86 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 14 percent Merlot, harvested from 22 September to 6 October. On the nose it shows jammy blackcurrant and prune notes with undergrowth, fern, and subtle incense like aromas that add complexity. On the palate the wine is full bodied with dense, caressing tannins and a frame of ripe acidity that keeps the fruit focused and fresh. Flavors include black cherry, kirsch, coffee and a touch of spice and cigar box, with a roasted coffee note emerging on the finish. The texture is broad and fleshy but supported by grainy structure, and the finish is long and persistent, a profile that critics have rated very highly. The estate used careful sorting and traditional élevage practices in this outstanding 2000 vintage, and the bottle was released with the estate s gilded ram emblem to mark the year.

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate workhorse at Mouton Rothschild, a late ripening Bordeaux variety that became dominant in Pauillac because its thick skins and tannins suit the deep gravel soils and high drainage of the domaine, and in 2000 it made up about 86 percent of the blend. Merlot is used to soften and add roundness, it ripens earlier and is planted on slightly cooler or deeper soils within the estate, and it contributed roughly 14 percent to the 2000 bottling. The vineyards at Mouton are long established with an average vine age of around four decades, grapes are hand picked and sorted, and the wines are traditionally matured in new French oak for up to about 20 months to integrate the varieties. Historically Mouton was one of the chateaux that pushed for high Cabernet plantings in the 19th century, and that decision still defines how these two varieties are cultivated and blended in this Pauillac first growth.

Quick facts

• 🏺 For 2000 the bottle itself became the artwork, with the estate reproducing the 16th century Augsburg Ram in raised gold enamel on the glass.
• 🎨 This vintage broke the long run of artist labels at Mouton, the Baroness choosing the museum ram over a commissioned painter.
• 🔬 A new enamelling technique developed by glassmaker B.S.N after four months of research was needed to gild the ram and make it catch the light.
• 💎 The bottle was physically redesigned with a slightly conical shoulder, heavy glass and the Château name engraved in the base as proof of authenticity.
• 📈 The wine is famously Cabernet driven at 86 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 14 percent Merlot, and the gold bottle has made the 2000 hugely collectible on the auction market.

Palate profile

Producer

Château Mouton Rothschild, located in Pauillac, France, was acquired in 1853 by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, who renamed it from Château Brane-Mouton. In 1924, his great-grandson, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, revolutionized the estate by initiating château bottling, ensuring quality control. He also began the tradition of commissioning renowned artists, such as Picasso and Dalí, to design unique labels for each vintage, blending fine wine with fine art. After decades of lobbying, the estate was elevated to First Growth status in 1973, the only change ever made to the 1855 Bordeaux classification. Today, the winery remains under the stewardship of the Rothschild family, producing wines celebrated for their complexity and depth.