What a nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, minerals and graphite. Full-bodied and extremely fine and polished. Sexy and ethereal. Harmony. A little salty. Fabulous 2012. Pure silk. Better after 2020 but so wonderful now.

The 2012 Mouton Rothschild continues to open up nicely. Forward, open and quite expressive, the 2012 looks like a wine that will drink well sooner rather than later. Dark cherry, plum, graphite, smoke and mocha meld into the inviting finish. The 2012 is not a huge wine, but it will open up sooner than some of the surrounding vintages. Time has only been a help for this open-knit, distinctly fruit-driven Mouton. The 2012 is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc harvested during the first fifteen days of October.

This is starting to mellow already, featuring dark fig and blackberry notes infused liberally with black tea and smoldering tobacco accents. Shows a light loamy echo through the finish, with a flash of menthol. Offers ample flesh throughout, with a slightly grainy edge to the tannins.

Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2012 Mouton-Rothschild clearly has the upper hand over the 2011, if not quite at the level of the 2009, 2010 and what I envisage will be the 2015. There is obviously greater fruit intensity here, as if the contrast has been dialed up a couple of notches. It is quite showy on the nose, preening in its infancy with pure black cherries, graphite and hints of cold slate-like scents, later that hint of seaweed I observed when tasted blind a few months earlier. The palate is beautifully balanced with great vim and vigor. This is a Mouton that will not be put down - vivacious, vivid and delineated with wonderful focus and crucially, impressive persistence on the finish. Do not underestimate this Mouton-Rothschild, because I can see an upswing as it matures in bottle. Tasted April 2016.