For the first time, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos illustrated the wine label with her vibrant "Paraíso" (Paradise) artwork, featuring a detailed grape cluster symbolizing the natural and human elements that create great wine—earth, water, sun rays, night coolness, and human labor depicted as a triangle.
Vasconcelos, a globally acclaimed contemporary artist known for monumental installations exploring femininity, consumerism, and identity through crafts like embroidery and crochet, joins the storied list of label artists at the estate. The winery owners draw parallels between her material assembly and winemaking's craftsmanship, emphasizing uniqueness and joy in both.
Château Mouton Rothschild, a Premier Grand Cru Classé, spans 82 hectares in Pauillac, Médoc, with vines averaging 50 years old (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot). Since 1945, each vintage label has been an original artwork, now housed in the estate's permanent exhibition.
Source: Château Mouton Rothschild 2023 Press Release.
98-100 J. Anson :
"High Cabernet, and the grape is dominant not just in blend but character, totally delicious, with tension, flesh, and confidence, building layers of black fruits, graphite, cocoa bean, espresso, pomegranate and smoked earth throughout the palate. When Cabernet works at Mouton, it is hard to beat, and it's on full display in 2023. One of my clear wines of the vintage. Of any vintage. 100% new oak for ageing. 40% grand vin, harvest September 7 to 30."
98 Decanter :
"Gorgeous red and black fruit on the nose, ripe strawberries, cherries and blackcurrants, really fruit forward and expressive, not so much on the mineral or floral side. Smooth and supple, this is agile and has great movement. A sense of life, depth and richness, but this is so suave. The fruit and tannins fill the mouth but with wonderful coolness - blueberry and crisp cherry. Lots of liquorice and wet stones also come through; graphite, chalk, mint, a touch of toastiness on the finish. It has flashes of exoticism, as well as finesse. Structure and seriousness but with bounce, full of texture and nuance. Tannins have built a broad wine and this is a real success with lots of energy and vibrancy throughout but with no harsh acidity or too lean tannins. Stylish, characterful and executed very well. 11% press wine, last year was 17%. 93% Cabernet in the blend, second highest in history after 2010 which was 94%. 75 IPT. 40% grand vin production. A potential 100-point wine."
99-100 Yves Beck :
"Mouton 2023 presents itself with a confidence and serenity that immediately evoke a great wine! Within seconds, it sets the tone in a decisive and determined manner! The woodiness is only secondary, which is to be welcomed, as has been the case for several years now at Mouton. It is nevertheless essential in its ability to carry the elements present, but it does not take on the role of a marker, rather that of a leader, taking care to enhance the fruity notes, the terroir and the minerality associated with it. On the palate, the wine displays density and depth from the very first seconds. Never excessive, it impresses with its linear, subtle, elegant and inviting character. The fleshy and somewhat sweet tannins shine with their fine grain and their ability to create symbiosis with the acidic structure. A subtly powerful, deep, persistent and very Mouton wine. This is a very great Mouton, worthy of the estate's Hall of Fame."
98-100 Jeff Leve :
"Cuban cigars, blackberries, flowers, smoke, espresso, spice, fruitcake, licorice, roasted nuts, and currants are a treat in the perfume. The palate offers layers of energetic, long, deep, fruits with a racy edge. The wine builds as it lingers with the fruit moving from red, to black, and back to red, with a refreshing sprig of mint, a touch of chocolate, and a dash of spice, adding to the complexity. The key to the vintage initial heat spell in August helped propel the grapes to phenolic ripeness. The ability to wait for the moment of their choice, allowing for a longer hangtime for the Cabernet played a major role this year. The wine blends 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Merlot. Only 2010 had more Cabernet in the blend. 13.3% ABV, 3.79 pH. The harvest took place September 7 - September 30. Drink from 2030-2065."
98-99 J. Suckling :
"This is the most structured Mouton since the great 2016, with tannins that start slowly and then take off. It’s muscular and toned. It’s full-bodied but doesn’t come across too heavy. It builds up in intensity and goes on and on and on. It just keeps expanding. I took a double take here. 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot."
96-98 J. Dunnuck :
"Pulled from just 40% of the production, the 2023 Château Mouton Rothschild is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot that will see 18 months in new barrels. Tasting like the blood of Cabernet with its smoky red, black, and blue fruits, tobacco leaf, graphite, and cedar-driven aromatics, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a pure, polished, layered mouthfeel, beautiful concentration, and ripe, velvety tannins. Not the massive style of the 2022, it’s more in line with the 2016. This rich, elegant, seamless 2023 will need a decade to hit its prime."
96-98 Neal Martin :
"The 2023 Mouton Rothschild was picked from September 7 to 30 and contains 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, the second highest ever (after the 2010). Matured entirely in new oak as usual, this has an intense, floral bouquet with violet petals infusing the black fruit and touches of licorice loitering just off stage—very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with extremely refined tannins. Focused and harmonious, it’s velvety smooth with a long and tender finish that has more crispness than the 2022. In fact, I might ultimately end up preferring this over the 2022 …it will be interesting finding out in the future!"
94-96 Wine Advocate :
"Aromas of crème de cassis and dark berries mingled with pencil shaving, espresso roast and violets introduce the 2023 Mouton Rothschild, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine with a creamy core of ripe but lively fruit, sweet tannins and an expansive finish. In terms of parcels, the 2023 is quite different in origins from the 2022, favoring plots that are better-drained rather than those resistant to drought. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, without either Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot featuring in the blend, and it attained 13.3% alcohol."
95-97 Lisa Perotti Brown :
"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Mouton Rothschild needs considerable swirling to coax out notes of freshly crushed blackcurrants and wild blueberries leading to touches of clove oil, lavender, star anise, and black truffle with a hint of wild sage. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with a firm frame of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, with pH 3.79, and an alcohol of 13.3%."
