Chateau Mouton Rothschild - Le Petit Mouton 2009

JAMES SUCKLING: "Plenty of bitter chocolate character, but also a lot of cassis and flesh, the abundant fine tannins making this big, ripe wine very attractive. Long, imposing, but beautifully balanced finish. Drink or hold."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur-Granat. Minzige Mouton-Note im fülligen Bouquet, reife Brombeeren und Brombeergelée, im Hintergrund Korinthen und dunkles Malz. Am Gaumen füllig, mineralisch, mit schwarzen gekochten Pflaumen und Schwarzschokonoten, an einen ziemlich grossen Napa-Cabernet erinnernd. Der Zimt-After-Eight-Schokohauch scheint gar den Opus One zu zitieren."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2009 Le Petit Mouton is deep garnet colored and saunters out of the glass with bold black cherries, warm cassis and plum preserves notions plus hints of menthol, sassafras, black pepper and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with generous black fruits, framed by plush tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long."

DECANTER: "Silky, seductive and engaging - you would be hard-pressed not to love this, frankly. Ribbons of violet run through the palate, showcasing the glamour of Petit Mouton and the pleasure of 2009, working together. You could enjoy this now, but there's absolutely zero rush as this is going nowhere. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038"

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Farbkern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feine Anklänge von Lakritze, Cassis und Brombeerkonfit, frische Orangenzesten, ein Hauch von dunklem Nougat. Saftig, süße rote Kirschfrucht, dezente Extraktsüße, präsente, integrierte Tannine, frisches Säuregerüst, schokoladige Nuancen sind unterlegt, mineralisch, zitronige Noten im Abgang, bereits antrinkbar, sollte aber noch an Länge zulegen können."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark indeed. Scented archetypal Pauillac. Round and almost impossible to spot the tannins until the very end when they emerge. Very voluptuous and 2009. Quite dramatic. Not enormous follow through."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Ready for its prime time drinking window, the wine is medium/full-bodied, with round textures and an earthy, refined blast of juicy cassis, wet earth and tobacco, with just a hint of spice in the finish."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Fleshy and inviting, with dense but accessible layers of dark fig, plum, prune cake and roasted espresso, all framed on the finish by a lingering singed cedar edge. This has grip, but it's still approachable now."