For their grand 2000 vintage, Chateau Mouton Rothschild broke with their tradition of seeking famous painters to create a label for their latest release. Baroness Philippine de Rothschild replaced the painted label with an enamelled illustration of the gold-encrusted Augsburg Ram from the Chateau’s own Museum of Wine in Art. The garnet wine offers lovely complexity, with prune, fruit jam, fern, and woodland fragrances. The palate carries volume, fat, and a full attack, with caressing round and thick tannins. The fleshy and powerful finish shows stamina; following along the lines of Mouton Rothschild greatest vintages. Resembling the exceptional 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, this Pauillac wine also shows great ageing potential.
Perhaps the most beautiful packaging ever on a Bordeaux bottle, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild literally produced a work of art in the gold-engraved bottle of 2000 Mouton Rothschild. Of course, one can't drink the glass, but this is a top-flight Mouton Rothschild, eclipsed only by the 2006 and 2009. A rich, tannic, earthy style, with loads of creme de cassis and floral notes, the final blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot is a full-bodied wine with plenty of coffee, earth, chocolatey notes, and still plenty of tannin to resolve. I gave it an anticipated maturity range of 2015-2050 back in 2003, and that looks on target.