Drink this red wine straight from the fridge
Using a hybrid of rosé and red winemaking techniques, this re-imagination of the standby Mouton Cadet x Pierre Bordeaux delivers richness without the sandpapery feeling of some chilled reds.
Mouton Cadet “x Pierre” Bordeaux
Bordeaux, France
$15.99 14.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #100030759
Sale price through April 6; regularly $17.99
Even in the most traditional wine regions, new generations herald new ideas about how wine should be made. This unusual re-imagination of the old standby Mouton Cadet — as a red wine that is designed to be served chilled like a white or rosé — makes a perfect example because in this case, history is repeating.
Château Mouton-Rothschild was, from its launch in 1853, one of the world’s most famous and expensive wines. It has the distinction of being the only Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc to have been “promoted” in rank after the 1855 classification of the region’s wines. This promotion was due to the revitalization of the historic estate that began in 1922, when Philippe de Rothschild, the youngest son of the owner Baron Henri de Rothschild, took control of the vineyards and winery at the age of 20. Two years later, after observing the old traditions closely, he imposed a new vision by insisting that his wine, previously delivered to wine merchants in barrels, would be bottled at the château for better quality control — and under branded corks to expose fraudulent knock-offs. In 1930, Phillipe scandalized his rarefied social circle by creating the modestly priced “Mouton Cadet” line of wines to make Bordeaux as accessible to as wide a public as possible. A sensation, it remains one of the top selling Bordeaux wines — not just in France but around the world.
To honor this history of generational change and innovation, Mouton Cadet has recently created three special cuvées, each crafted by and named for one of Baron Philippe’s grandchildren. Pierre’s red is not just an eyebrow-raising 100% varietal merlot that is both organic and vegan, but also carefully designed to be a bright, fresh red designed for drinking straight from the fridge. By using a careful hybrid of rosé and red winemaking techniques, Pierre has produced a thought-provoking wine that would have made his grandfather proud. Flavors of red berries like raspberries and red currants are laced with snappy herbal tastes like mint in a wine that delivers surprising palate richness with very little of the tannic grip that can normally make red wines feel sandpapery on the palate when chilled.
Available at:
Berkley Fine Wine & Spirits in Clarksboro, N.J., $17.14