Le Petit de Mouton-Rothschild 2005

Weather conditions for the 2005 vintage were unusual, since the year was 0.3° C colder than the average for the last forty years, mainly due to cooler than normal nights. The period from April to September was particularly dry, with only 313 mm of rainfall being recorded between the start of the year and the harvest, compared with an average of 602 mm. However, these exceptional conditions did not affect the usual pace of the vegetation cycle. Flowering occurred for all three varieties around 5 June and veraison took place a few days earlier than the average, between 1 and 8 August. The grapes were harvested between 21 September and 6 October in conditions that may be described as ideal. Although the atypically dry weather meant that yields were relatively low, the wines show rich, powerful and stylish tannins. Overall, the profile of the 2005 vintage is rather reminiscent of 1976, 1982 and 1995.