95-98 Points | International Wine Cellar , May/June 2011

(a blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon and 6% merlot; 80 IPT; 3.8 pH; 14% alcohol; a 49% selection for the grand vin Deep, bright ruby. Reticent nose hints at deep redcurrant, blackcurrant and plum complicated by aromatic herbs, cedar and lavender. Precise and pure on entry, showing very smooth flavors of red berries, dark plum and soy sauce. A refined Mouton-Rothschild that impresses through its grace rather than power; less exotic than usual at this early stage, it conveys a more serious, austere personality, even if it is still more expressive today than either Latour or Lafite.  Director Philippe Dhalluin told me that although the merlot vats tasted perfectly fine this year, the variety endured plenty of problems ranging from coulure to heat stress (Mouton's famed gravel soils are an enemy of merlot in very dry years such as 2010), and this explains the preponderance of cabernet sauvignon in the final blend.  An outstanding Mouton.

98+ Points | Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate