Without sacrificing any of the Grand Vin's elegance, Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2022 asserts itself as a Pauillac confidant: precise, harmonious and decidedly pleasure-focused. The château's second wine, it comes from a dedicated selection designed to deliver an immediate reading of the terroir while retaining the depth that marks the great banks of the estuary. Here, modernity meets tradition, the voluptuousness of the fruit joins the poise of a refined structure, and together they compose a cuvée that charms enthusiasts and intrigues aesthetes. For those seeking Bordeaux majesty in a style both accessible and demanding, this 2022 unfurls a vibrant character, ready to pair with seasonal cuisine, careful service and shared moments where the art of living truly matters.

Blend and vinification

Born from younger vines and carefully selected parcels within the estate, Le Petit Mouton is harvested and vinified separately to preserve a faithful and readable expression of the house style. The thoughtful parcel selection yields pure matter, aligned with measured extraction and precise ageing that favour fruit accuracy and textural integrity. This approach gives the 2022 a supple silhouette, structured without stiffness, where freshness enlivens density and balance prevails over flash. The overall aim is clarity, energy and uprightness, producing an immediately enjoyable signature that remains elegantly rooted in Pauillac's DNA. Without excess, the winemaking highlights the brightness of the berries, the finesse of the tannin grain and the persistence on the palate—three pillars of easy drinkability and a calm ageing potential.

Tasting notes

• Appearance : Deep and luminous with youthful highlights, suggesting concentrated matter and lively energy.
• Nose : Basket of ripe black fruits evoking blackcurrant and blackberry, with fine notes of sweet spice, noble woody essences and a delicate graphite hint that signs Pauillac terroir.
• Palate : Enveloping attack, broad and juicy mid-palate, tannins with a tight yet caressing grain. Freshness extends the wine, the finish lengthens with a return to fruit and a salivating touch of classicism.

Serving temperature and advice

This Pauillac expresses itself fully at cellar temperature, in generous glasses that encourage oxygenation. For a young vintage, gentle aeration enhances the fruit's brilliance and smooths the tannic frame. Serve without haste and let it open slowly to reveal its tactile and aromatic dimension. Store bottles away from light, lying down, in a cool stable environment. This cuvée, already very pleasant, will gain complexity with a few years of patience, offering first the gourmandise of its youth, then the depth of a more complex weave.

Food pairings

• Aperitifs : delicate charcuterie, game rillettes, gougères with aged cheese—served as small bites to awaken the palate without overwhelming it.
• Starters : thin mushroom tart, pressed poultry with duck liver, beef carpaccio dressed with a discreet olive oil.
• Main courses : roasted rib of beef, herb-crusted rack of lamb, roast duck with reduced jus, sautéed cep mushrooms, melting potato gratin, glazed root vegetables.
• Cheeses : aged Comté, extra-old mimolette, mountain tomme—whose saltiness and texture highlight the wine's length.
• Desserts : a rare but possible match with a lightly sweet dark chocolate dessert, favouring bitterness and fine cocoa notes.

Occasions

Le Petit Mouton 2022 is the companion of a table that values measured gestures and attention to detail. It suggests sincere cooking, slowly roasted meats, a calm service where time is taken to listen to the wine. It also joins conversations among enthusiasts, a vertical tasting with friends, or a dinner where each course dialogues with the wine's substance. To give as a thank-you, to share for understated celebration, to keep to mark a special date.

• A dinner for enthusiasts where the precision of the fruit and the tannin structure are savoured.
• A large Sunday table around a roasted joint of beef and seasonal vegetables.
• An exceptional gift for a Bordeaux lover seeking accuracy and emotion.

Characteristics

• Name : Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild 2022
• Appellation : Pauillac AOC
• Type : Red wine
• Vintage : 2022