Mouton Rothschild 2018 has been released at €408 per bottle ex-negociant, up 17.2% on the release price of the 2017 (€348). It is being offered by the international trade at £5,112 (US$6,840/ HK$51,000) per 12×75, an increase of 18.3% on the 2017 release of £4,320 per case in sterling terms.
Production levels were said to be 30% down this year, with allocations decreased by 35%-40%.
Mouton received a perfect 100 points from James Suckling, who admitted that he had “not seen such earthy and totally deep character of the soil in a young Mouton in [his] career”.
Meanwhile, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (The Wine Advocate) gave the wine 97-99+ points and said that it has gorgeous mouthfeel that is “at once plush from the ripe fruit and firm and grainy from the super ripe tannins, finishing very long and wonderfully creamy”.
For Antonio Galloni (Vinous), who awarded today’s release a lower barrel range of 94-97, the wine “stands out for its unctuousness and fruit intensity”. He further commented that “in 2018, Mouton is radiant, sensual and impeccable in its balance, even if it doesn’t possess the sheer visceral thrill, energy or pedigree of truly great vintages”.
Prices for Mouton show 52% correlation to critic scores. According to our ‘Fair Value’ methodology, the 2018 Mouton falls below the implied line when Suckling’s perfect score is considered, while followers of Galloni and Perrotti-Brown might wish to look back at older vintages, available in the secondary market at a discount. Given the tight allocations, however, the Grand Vin is likely to be in high demand.
Looking for more?
Our Bordeaux 2018 pages contain everything you need to know about this year’s En Primeur campaign, including:
- Critic scores
- Release prices
- Bordeaux 2018 analysis tool [members only]
- The conversation on social media
- Liv-ex’s fair value methodology
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