Chateau Mouton Rothschild Vertical Tasting at Wine Watch

"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

It is Thursday so that means it is time to call upon the Ward of wisdom to see what question we have for the Warden today.  Click the play button below to view our "Ask Ward" segment this week.

We have another "Once in a Lifetime" tasting planned for a few weeks from now and this is one of the five first growths of Bordeaux Chateau Mouton Rothschild.  When arguing about which of the five first growths is the best there is no question that Chateau Lafite is now the most expensive, but if you look at the quality of the wines there is little difference between Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild.  You could argue that Mouton is better simply because it is the only Chateau in Bordeaux to ever be elevated from its original classification in 1855.  Chateau Mouton Rothschild started out as a 2nd growth, but through the dedication of the late Baronne de Philippe Rothschild the powers that be in France decided to elevate this Chateau to first growth status in 1974! 

We are not going back as far as 1974 but we will have 8 vintages of this classic growth of Pauillac including two (100 Point) wines from Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the 1982 and 1986.  We also have an offering of wines available from this Chateau on this offering

Wine Watch Catering chef Toni Lampasone will be making a special 5 course menu to accompany the tasting wines.  There are only 16 seats available for this event and the fee is $595 per person + Tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Tasting Line-up:

1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(100 Points)  This wine remains one of the legends of Bordeaux. It has thrown off the backward, youthful style that existed during its first 25 years of life, and over the last 4-5 years has developed such secondary nuances as cedar and spice box. The creme de cassis, underlying floral note, full-bodied power, extraordinary purity, multilayered texture, and finish of over a minute are a showcase for what this Chateau accomplished in 1982. The wine is still amazingly youthful, vibrant, and pure. It appears capable of remaining fruity and vibrant in 2082! Thank God it is beginning to budge, as I would like to drink most of my supply before I kick the bucket. This is a great, still youthful wine, and, on occasion, one does understand the hierarchy of Bordeaux chateaux when you see the complexity and brilliance of this first-growth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.  Wine Advocate # 183, Jun 2009

1985 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(90 Points)  The rich, complex, well-developed bouquet of oriental spices, toasty oak, herbs, and ripe fruit is wonderful. On the palate, the wine is also rich, forward, long, and sexy. It ranks behind both Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux in 1985. I am surprised by how evolved and ready to drink this wine is. Readers looking for a big, boldly constructed Mouton should search out other vintages, as this is a tame, forward, medium-weight wine that is close to full maturity. It is capable of lasting another 15+ years. This estate compares their 1985 to their 1959, but to me it is more akin to their 1962 or 1953. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012. Last tasted, 10/97.  Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition # B1, Jan 1998

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(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

1987 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(89 Points)  The 1987 would appear to be a sure bet for the wine of the vintage. It remains the most complete and backward 1987 Medoc, with at least 10-15 years of aging potential. The touching dedication from the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild's daughter on the label should also be noted. 1987 was the last vintage produced by the Baron, and thus will probably fetch a fortune in 40 or 50 years. One of the deepest and most opaque wines of the vintage, with a tight, yet promising bouquet of cedar and blackcurrants, this wine exhibits surprising depth, medium to full body, and plenty of tannin in the finish. An amazingly powerful wine for the vintage, it is richer than the 1989 and 1990! Anticipated maturity: 1998-2008. Last tasted, 8/93.  Wine Advocate # 88, Aug 1993

1988 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(89 Points)  The 1988 has an aroma of exotic spices, minerals, blackcurrants, and oak. In the mouth, it is a much firmer, tougher, more obviously tannic wine than the 1989. It is a beautifully made 1988 that will last 20-30 years, but the astringency of the tannins is slightly troubling. Patience will be a necessity for purchasers of this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2030. Last tasted, Wine Advocate # 88, Aug 1993

1989 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(90 Points)  Considering the vintages and the estate, Mouton's performances in 1989 and 1990 are puzzling. I have tasted these wines multiple times since my last reviews appeared in print. The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild is the superior wine, but in no sense is this a compelling wine if compared to the Moutons produced in 1995, 1986, and 1982. The 1989 displays a dark ruby color that is already beginning to reveal significant lightening at the edge. The bouquet is surprisingly evolved, offering up scents of cedar, sweet black fruits, lead pencil, and toasty oak. This elegant, medium-bodied restrained wine is beautifully made, stylish, and not dissimilar to the 1985. It is an excellent to outstanding Mouton that should be close to full maturity in 4-5 years; it will drink well for 15-20.  Wine Advocate # 109, Feb 1997

1993 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(90 Points)  After less than persuasive performances in two potentially great years, 1989 and 1990, Mouton-Rothschild appears to have settled down, producing fine efforts in recent vintages, culminating with the enormously promising, unquestionably profound 1995. The 1993 is a beautifully made wine which could be considered a sleeper of the vintage. The wine boasts a dark purple color, followed by a sweet, pain grillee, roasted nut, and cassis-scented bouquet that is just beginning to open. In the mouth, the wine may not possess the body and volume of a vintage such as 1990 or 1989, but there is more richness of fruit, a sweet, ripe, pureness to the wine, as well as medium body and outstanding balance. This moderately tannic, well-focused, surprisingly rich 1993 is capable of 15-20 years of evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2015.

Readers should note that this wine comes with two labels. The original label, with its delicate yet unprovocative portrait nude of a pre-teenager by Balthus, was banned as a result of protests from America's neo-puritans. What has resulted is considerable speculation in the original label, which is selling at $50 more than the blank creamy white-colored label that is "officially" sported by those bottles of Mouton-Rothschild imported to America. Although Mouton-Rothschild can be among the most inconsistent first-growths, when this estate gets everything right, the wine can be as compelling as any produced in Bordeaux.  Wine Advocate # 109, Feb 1997

1995 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

(95 Points)  Bottled in June, 1997, this profound Mouton is more accessible than the more muscular 1996. A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 19% Merlot, it reveals an opaque purple color, and reluctant aromas of cassis, truffles, coffee, licorice, and spice. In the mouth, the wine is "great stuff," with superb density, a full-bodied personality, rich mid-palate, and a layered, profound finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. There is outstanding purity and high tannin, but my instincts suggest this wine is lower in acidity and slightly fleshier than the brawnier, bigger 1996. Both are great efforts from Mouton-Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030.  Wine Advocate # 115 Feb 1998

2004 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 

(92+ Points)  I can’t say much for the painting by Prince Charles on the label, but what’s in the bottle is a powerful, classic, dense ruby/purple-hued Mouton with a full-bodied style, brutal tannin, impressive concentration, and a primordial backwardness that will require 10-15 years of cellaring. Built along the lines of a modern day 1966 or 1988, the 2004 reveals plenty of power and concentration, but the biting tannins will preclude any enjoyable consumption over the next decade. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035.   Wine Advocate # 171, Jun 2007

Menu

Selection of Cheeses:

Arugula and shaved parmesan salad with crispy bacon drizzled with warm currant and red wine vinaigrette

Rare seared Tuna seasoned with fresh rosemary and basil rub with Crispy Potato Hash

Braised Beef Short Rib glazed with Bordeaux reduction accompanied by double stuffed gold fingerling potatoes

Vanilla bean crème brulee garnished candied ginger

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 Rothchild Available:

1962 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Trophy bottle)
Price: $45.00    Sale $39.60
Quantity in Stock: 1

1962 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Trophy bottle) - click image for full description Item was stored improperly, bottle is for Trophy purpose

1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 375ml
Price: $575.00  Sale $506
Quantity in Stock: 7

(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.

1989 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $475.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(90 Points) Considering the vintages and the estate, Mouton's performances in 1989 and 1990 are puzzling. I have tasted these wines multiple times since my last reviews appeared in print. The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild is the superior wine, but in no sense is this a compelling wine if compared to the Moutons produced in 1995, 1986, and 1982. The 1989 displays a dark ruby color that is already beginning to reveal significant lightening at the edge. The bouquet is surprisingly evolved, offering up scents of cedar, sweet black fruits, lead pencil, and toasty oak. This elegant, medium-bodied restrained wine is beautifully made, stylish, and not dissimilar to the 1985. It is an excellent to outstanding Mouton that should be close to full maturity in 4-5 years; it will drink well for 15-20. Wine Advocate # 109, Feb 1997

1998 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $575.00  Sale $506
Quantity in Stock: 1

(96 Points) Like many of its peers, the 1998 has filled out spectacularly. Now in the bottle, this opaque black/purple-colored offering has increased in stature, richness, and size. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc (57% of the production was utilized), it is an extremely powerful, super-concentrated wine offering notes of roasted espresso, creme de cassis, smoke, new saddle leather, graphite, and licorice. It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavor profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity. This is a 50-year Mouton, but patience will be required as it will not be close to drinkability for at least a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. Wine Advocate # 134, Apr 2001

2003 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $525.00  Sale $462
Quantity in Stock: 12

(95+ Points) Backward, powerful, and extremely tannic, the dense purple-colored 2003 Mouton-Rothschild, a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, fashioned from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare, with a finished alcohol of 12.9%, improves dramatically with aeration. With full-bodied, meaty, powerful, dry flavors as well as a huge finish, this high class wine should be at its finest between 2012-2040+. During its sojourn in barrel, it reminded me of a hypothetical blend of the 1982 and 1986 Moutons, but since bottling, it appears different, and even more tannic than those two vintages. I still believe the finest recent Mouton-Rothschild is the 2000. Wine Advocate # 164 Apr 2006

2004 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $495.00  Sale $435.60
Quantity in Stock: 6

(92 Points) I can’t say much for the painting by Prince Charles on the label, but what’s in the bottle is a powerful, classic, dense ruby/purple-hued Mouton with a full-bodied style, brutal tannin, impressive concentration, and a primordial backwardness that will require 10-15 years of cellaring. Built along the lines of a modern day 1966 or 1988, the 2004 reveals plenty of power and concentration, but the biting tannins will preclude any enjoyable consumption over the next decade. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. Wine Advocate # 171, June 2007

2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $795.00  Sale $699
Quantity in Stock: 1

(95 Points)Dark purple black in color. Complex aromas of mineral, licorice, lead pencil and blackberry follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a caressing, pretty finish. Has a lovely texture. Shows elegance and refinement. Best after 2012. -JS Wine Spectator Issue: Mar 31, 2008

2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
Price: $900.00  Sale $792
Quantity in Stock: 2