Mouton Cadet 1997 Bordeaux
Jan 10 '02
The Bottom Line A very brief background on one of the world's most popular and recognized wine brands.
It stands to reason that the world's most popular Bordeaux wine, Mouton Cadet, is not listed in the Epinions database of wines. About 13 million bottles of this wine ships worldwide on an annual basis. I will utilize this category, What You Should Know About Mouton Rothschild, to provide a very brief background on one of the world's most popular and recognized wine brands.
The Château Mouton Rothschild, once headed by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, is a producer of premium Bordeaux wine.
Rothschild's winery, located at Pauillac in the Médoc, produces wine under the Château Mouton Rothschild label, a First Growth, and produces other wines under the Château Clerc Milon and Château d'Armailhac labels. It also produces "branded wines," an example being Mouton Cadet.
After a few difficult growing years, and faced by economic pressures brought on by the world-wide depression in the 1930's, Baron Philippe de Rothschild made a decision to release a less expensive, lower quality ("declassified") wine that was not quite fit for the esteemed Château label. This wine was named Mouton Cadet. The word Cadet is the French term meaning "junior." Since World War II, this wine has been developed as a "branded wine" and is released every year. It is made using a blend of fruit: 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc.
Mouton Cadet 1997 Bordeaux
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In terms of sales, Mouton Cadet Bordeaux is the most popular Bordeaux wine in the world. Part of the reason for this is: (1) it is inexpensive, even cheap; and (2) it is French wine, and many people automatically assume that all French wine is of excellent quality. (Certainly not true, but a particular image that the French -- to their credit -- have been able to cultivate over the years.)
The 1997 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux pours with a dark ruby color. This is a 12% alcohol by volume wine with some cherry, cassis, and faint hints of smoke and mineral. In flavor, this wine is soft, I find it a little thin on fruit flavor, and it finishes with a gentle tannin pucker. This is a drinkable wine -- I guess, better stated: "gulpable." Nothing really here to savor. May improve with an extra year or two of cellaring, but quite drinkable right now.
Quite frankly, there are hundreds... thousands of wines that taste better. This one is popular, like I stated, because it is French and also because it ships with a rather elegant looking label featuring the name "Baron Philippe de Rothschild," which many people associate with "French nobility." Whatever.
Price and Availability
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I purchased a 375 ml half-bottle of this wine for only $1.99 -- now, that's cheap. Especially for a half-bottle. I've seen this wine available in local supermarkets for $7 or $8. Mouton Cadet is exported all over the world. Imported by Palace Brands Company of Hartford, Connecticut.
Recommendations
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This is not a particularly good wine. It is table wine, fine for picnics, informal gatherings and large groups. You won't impress dinner guests by serving this wine. But I enjoy drinking it while smoking cigars. It is cheap, but looks expensive.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, in partnership with Robert Mondavi (Napa Valley, California), also produces an ultra-premium California wine: Opus One.
The 1998 Opus One is pretty expensive -- retailing for about $130 (at bevmo.com). It's rated as a "Superb" wine.
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
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