2025 Le Petit Mouton (Pauillac)

The aromatics are very signature Petit Mouton - gentle toasted sandalwood and cedar, mint leaf, incense, but the impression on the palate is of fresher fruit, blueberry pie, crayon and slate. Will deepen further over ageing, but full of promise already, juicy with salted cracker and oyster shell, a little less exuberant perhaps than usual at this early stage, and I am reminded of the 2023, the 3.72ph making its presence felt. Harvest September 5 to 20.50% new oak. 94 points

The 2025 Le Petit-Mouton is powerful and dense in the glass, revealing super-ripe black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, spice and a healthy kick of French oak. Of all the wines in the Mouton stable, the Petit-Mouton most shows the riper side of the year in both its flavor profile and texture. It will be interesting to see how this develops with élevage. For now, the 2025 is extroverted, leaning towards blowsy. My impression is that the ripeness got away from the team. 89-91 points

The 2025 Le Petit Mouton offers up aromas of dark berries, mint and toasty new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and ample palate that`s broad and muscular, built around plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. It`s a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Cabernet France and 3% Petit Verdot. 91-93 points

The 2025 Le Petit-Mouton has a very intense nose, blackberry and cassis mixed with violet and a touch of wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied, with pliant tannins, fine acidity, quite spicy on the mid-palate with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper, nicely focused with a classically styled finish. It will need two to three years in bottle. 91-93 points