Chateau Mouton Rothschild Magnum Vertical Tasting back to 1986

"Wine had such ill effects on Noah’s health that it was all he could do to live 950 years. Show me a total abstainer that ever lived that long."  - Will Rogers

We don’t trust people that don’t drink wine and since that’s all we sell those are the only people we know at Wine Watch.

Whenever we pick up a cellar the first course of action is to test out the product and to drink as many of the great wines as we can at our wine tasting events.  We received an amazing collection of Chateau Mouton Rothschild recently with over a dozen selections in Magnum format. 

The magnum is the perfect size bottle for aging and the wines are always fresher out of this format and it really shows after 20 years.  With almost all of the magnums below over 20 years old it’s time to test out our theory as we are doing scientific work here at Wine Watch.

This is a “Once in a Lifetime” event to have so many magnums of a first growth Bordeaux on the table in one night.  There are only 12 spaced available for this tasting and the fee which includes dinner is $995 + tax.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

For those of you that can’t make the tasting I have included all the Chateau Mouton Rothschild that we have in store on this offering on SALE!

Chateau Mouton Rothschild Magnum Tasting
Saturday, September 12th 2020
7:30 PM

2013 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Aile d'Argent Blanc

(90-93 points) Dark gold-tinged straw-yellow. Smoky herbs, grapefruit pith and honeydew melon aromas are complicated by white peach and spicy pear. Dense and brisk on entry, then a bit diffuse in the middle, but with vibrant flavors of passion fruit, grapefruit and herbs. Firm and bright but quite ripe too, showing nothing green or hard on the long, bracing finish. Seems less focused than recent vintages of Aile d'Argent, but perhaps another year in the bottle will help it gain precision. (ID) (5/2014)  Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(100 Points) After stumbling over some wines I thought were high class Bordeaux, I nailed this wine in one of the blind tastings for this article. In most tastings where a great Bordeaux is inserted with California Cabernets, the Bordeaux comes across as drier, more austere, and not nearly as rich and concentrated (California wines are inevitably fruitier and more massive). To put it mildly, the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild held its own (and then some), in a flight that included the Caymus Special Selection, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Dunn Howell Mountain, and Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard. Clearly the youngest looking, most opaque and concentrated wine of the group, it tastes as if it has not budged in development since I first tasted it out of barrel in March, 1987. An enormously concentrated, massive Mouton-Rothschild, comparable in quality, but not style, to the 1982, 1959, and 1945, this impeccably made wine is still in its infancy. Interestingly, when I was in Bordeaux several years ago, I had this wine served to me blind from a magnum that had been opened and decanted 48 hours previously. Even then, it still tasted like a barrel sample! I suspect the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild requires a minimum of 15-20 more years of cellaring; it has the potential to last for 50-100 years! Given the outrageously high prices being fetched by so many of the great 1982s and 1990s (and lest I forget, the 1995 Bordeaux futures), it appears this wine might still be one of the "relative bargains" in the fine wine marketplace. I wonder how many readers will be in shape to drink it when it does finally reach full maturity? The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore. Wine Advocate # 106, Aug 1996

1988 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(92 points) Outer quote mark Very pretty aromas of vanilla, tobacco, berry and chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins and a berry, chocolate finish. Not very dense. This pales compared with the other top Pauillacs. I never thought this was a perfect wine, but it gives great pleasure. Wine Spectator (JS, Web Only-2009)

1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(94 points) "Just pipped by its older sibling. Harvest lasted 18 September to 3 October, and grapes underwent a serious sorting after uneven ripening (they also did green harvesting). Autumn hedgerow aromatics with hawthorn and blackberries. The palate is soft and gentle, not as intense as the 1989 but still loaded with Pauillac signature. It didn’t get the most positive reaction on release, but this seems unfair at 30 years of age – this wine is still rippling with power. Label artist Francis Bacon, with one of his last works. Decanter:  (JA)" (10/2018)

1996 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(97 Points) The last time I tasted the 1996 Mouton Rothschild (maybe a couple of years ago?), I recall it was a bit broody and closed. This showing was anything but! Deep garnet in color, it sashays out of the glass with lavishly dressed, gregarious crème de cassis, baked blackberries and plum pudding scents plus touches of menthol, fenugreek, star anise and sandalwood with fleeting glimpses at dried rose petals and oolong tea. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited, opulent and oh-so seductive, with bags of youthful black fruit and lovely finely grained tannins, finishing with fantastic freshness and length. This was tasted from jeroboam in September 2019.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1999 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(93 Points) The beautiful 1999 Mouton Rothschild may be a modern day clone of their 1962 or 1985. Its saturated ruby/purple color is followed by sumptuous aromas of cedar wood, creme de cassis, wood smoke, coffee, and dried herbs. The wine is forward, lush, and full-bodied. It is already complex as well as succulent, fleshy, and long. Tannin in the finish suggests more nuances will emerge in 4-5 years. It is a complex, classic Mouton. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2001 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum

(94 Points) Very smoky, with berry, coffee and tobacco aromas. Full-bodied, with polished velvety tannins, plenty of fruit and a cedary aftertaste. Tight and compacted. This is better than the 2000 Mouton. It's a baby 1986 Mouton. Solid and very, very fine. Persists for a long time on the palate. Best after 2009.-JS Wine Spectator Issue: Mar 31, 2004

2007 Château D’Yquem (375ml)

(98 Points) Tasted single blind against its peers. Under blind conditions, the Yquem 2007 shines like a diamond. Nevertheless, it is initially rather taciturn on the nose, eventually opening up beautifully with touches of lemon curd, Mirabelle, and clear honey. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine definition and there seems to be a great deal of energy and vigor dispensed for your pleasure. There is such race and nervosity, and then that finish just purrs with harmony and focus. This Yquem feels just so alive and vivacious, yet there is an effortless quality here that is unmatched by its peers. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Menu

Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Wild Mushroom Confit on Brioche French Toast

Duck and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Basil Brown Butter and Fresh shaved Parmasean

Australian Waygu Filet Wellington with Au Poivre

Vanilla bean crème brulee garnished candied ginger

There are only 12 spaces available for this tasting.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $995 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

A bit about Chateau Mouton Rothschild:

It is without doubt the most interesting and the most controversial of all the châteaux in Bordeaux; and its former owner, the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild, would have it no other way.  There have been four generations of Rothschilds since the Baron's great grandfather, Nathaniel, bought the château in 1853; but the family did not take much interest in Mouton until young Baron Philippe came to live on the property in 1923 - the first Rothschild to be a live-in proprietor.  It was to signal a new era for Mouton and a new era for Bordeaux, for not only did the Baron Philippe begin to do much to attract the world's attention to the merits of his own wine, he also generated a great deal of interest in the entire Bordeaux region.  After fifty years of hard work, Baron Philippe scored a great personal triumph in 1973.  In that year Mouton was reclassified from a second to a first cru in the elite 1855 Grand Cru Classification, a long-overdue recognition and the first time a wine had ever been upgraded in this controversial and ossified classification.

In 1945 Mouton began the controversial practice of adorning each new vintage with the work of a famous artist (such publicity gimmicks were considered "bad form" among the staid, aristocratic society of Bordeaux.) However, the "label art" today has become something famous in itself (the labels themselves are now collector's items and one must get his original by purchasing a bottle), and the original objections raised have long been forgotten.  Some of the great artists of the 20th century have done work for the labels - Braque, Dali, Chagall, Kandinsky, and Picasso.  Andy Warhol did the 1975, and John Huston, the movie director, painted the label for the legendary 1982.  In addition to presiding over one of the world's great wine estates for some sixty years, Baron Philippe had also been a great patron of the arts.  The château itself is a major tourist attraction in Bordeaux and houses one of the world's great wine museums.  The chai, in which new vintages of Mouton age in shiny barrels, is a breathtaking sight for the winelover.  The great Baron died at his home in Paris in January of 1988, and his funeral was one of the largest ever witnessed in the Médoc - nearly 1500 people attended a grand ceremony at the Château.  Under French law, the dead may not be buried at their estates, but the Rothschild family was granted an exception by the authorities.  The Baron's daughter, the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, assumed control and management of the Château after her fathers death.

Over the course of the past few years, the Baroness has been actively involved at Mouton, and there was never a doubt that she would continue the legacy established by her father.  Certainly the circumstances could not be more favorable, for Mouton-Rothschild has been on a roll in the 1980's - the château has produced some of the greatest wines in its history and arguably the greatest wines in Bordeaux.

Mouton Rothschild is planted to 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot.  The vineyard is mostly gravel on a subsoil of marl and clay.  Vines are planted 8,000 to 10,000 per hectare.  Average yield per hectare is 35 hectoliters.  Pruning is Guyot Double Medocaine Keep this wine around for 10-15 years, although at that time you may not want to drink it after you check the current sale price. 

Chateau Mouton Rothschild available:

2013 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Aile d'Argent Blanc
Price: $125.00            Your Price: $110.00  Quantity in Stock: 3

2009 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1650.00          Your Price: $1452.00            Quantity in Stock: 1

2008 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $975.00            Sale Price: $775.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2009 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1650.00          Your Price: $1452.00            Quantity in Stock: 1

2008 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $975.00            Sale Price: $775.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $775.00            Sale Price: $625.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $850.00            Sale Price: $675.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum
Price: $2375.00          Your Price: $2090.00            Quantity in Stock: 1

2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1075.00          Sale Price: $850.00    Quantity in Stock: 4

2004 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $700.00            Sale Price: $550.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2002 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $650.00            Sale Price: $525.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

2001 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $695.00            Sale Price: $550.00    Quantity in Stock: 10

2000 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $2750.00          Your Price: $2420.00            Quantity in Stock: 1

1996 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $695.00            Sale Price: $595.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

1995 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum
Price: $1750.00          Your Price: $1540.00            Quantity in Stock: 1

1989 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $765.00            Sale Price: $650.00    Quantity in Stock: 1

1987 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Magnum
Price: $1800.00          Sale Price: $1350.00  Quantity in Stock: 1

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $1120.00          Sale Price: $985.60    Quantity in Stock: 2

1982 Chateau Mouton Rothchild Pauillac
Price: $1850.00          Sale Price: $1475.00  Quantity in Stock: 1

1979 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $765.00            Your Price: $673.20  Quantity in Stock: 1

1973 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac (mid shoulder)
Price: $499.00            Your Price: $439.12  Quantity in Stock: 1

1972 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac (mid shoulder)
Price: $999.00            Sale Price: $850.00    Quantity in Stock: 10

1937 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Mid Shoulder
Price: $2363.00          Your Price: $2079.44            Quantity in Stock: 1