92-94 Points | International Wine Cellar , May/June 2012

(90% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 3% cabernet franc):  Deep ruby-red.  Spicy red cherry, fresh blackcurrant, bay leaf, and cedar on the nose.  Enters the mouth fresh and juicy, with bright acidity lifting the creamy red and black fruit flavors.  Finishes clean and long, with mouthwatering acidity and supple charm.  A knockout Mouton and one of the stars of the vintage.  Director Philippe Dhalluin told me this wine reminded him of the '95 in some respects even though that wine has more flesh.  This vintage marks the return of cabernet franc in Mouton's blend:  it was last used in 2005, but then only 1%.  Dhalluin told me he thought long and hard about this issue, worrying that adding cabernet franc might make the wine softer.  "But in 2011, I realized that may not be such a bad thing after all," he explained.  "Plus I really liked our cabernet franc this year, and so I thought, let's give it a shot."

93-96 Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate