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+

Opaque purple-colored showing absolutely no signs of lightening, Mouton's 1982 is a backward wine. Still tasting like a 4-5 year old Bordeaux, it will evolve for another half century.

At the Philadelphia tasting, it was impossibly impenetrable and closed, although phenomenally dense and muscular. However, on two other recent occasions, I decanted the wine in the morning and consumed it that evening and again the following evening. It is immune to oxidation! Moreover, it has a level of concentration that represents the essence of the Mouton terroir as well as the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon it contains.

Cassis, cedar, spice box, minerals, and vanillin are all present, but this opaque black/purple Pauillac has yet to reveal secondary nuances given its youthfulness. It exhibits huge tannin, unreal levels of glycerin and concentration, and spectacular sweetness and opulence. Nevertheless, it demands another decade of cellaring, and should age effortlessly for another seven or eight decades.

I have always felt the 1982 Mouton was perfect, yet this immortal effort might be capable of lasting for 100 years! Readers who want to drink it are advised to decant it for at least 12-24 hours prior to consumption. I suggest double decanting, i.e., pouring it into a clean decanter, washing out the bottle, and then repouring it back into the bottle, inserting the cork, leaving the air space to serve as breathing space until the wine is consumed 12-24 hours later. The improvement is striking. The fact that it resists oxidation is a testament to just how youthful it remains, and how long it will last. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2075.

Deep ruby with some evolution at the rim. Very intense, heady nose. Wonderfully layered, complex, dense with some very fine tannin still on the finish. This is showing signs of being capable of going on for a very long time yet. Fantastic persistence. Just goes on and on. Real first growth quality and subtlety. Some spice but all with a great, sophistictaed polish. This is the vintage, for Baron Philippe's 60th vintage, with the John Huston label. Drink 1998-2028.Date tasted 17th May 09.

Still tasting like a barrel sample, the 1986 Mouton Rothschild is a monumental Bordeaux that will undoubtedly outlive anybody alive today. Amazingly youthful, with a dense purple color, it is an extraordinary wine that should age for a century or more. Tasted blind, I would have guessed it to be a 2-3 year old first-growth Bordeaux.

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.....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!...A compelling wine! Last tasted, 3/98.

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, Stags 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? Drink 2011 - 2096

The 1986 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that was picked from 2 October until 16 October. Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, who was not working at the property back then, told me that the pH was fairly low at 3.54 when it is usually around 3.75, due to the natural tartaric acid in the vines. It has a powerful and intense bouquet as always: exemplary graphite and cedar scents, a touch of black pepper and incense. It seems to unfurl in the glass, like a motor revving its engine. The palate is beautifully balanced with its trademark firm tannic structure, a Mouton-Rothschild with backbone and masculinity. Layers of black fruit intermingling with mint and graphite, a hint of licorice emanating from the Merlot, gently fanning out and my God, it is incredibly long. It is not like the 1985 Mouton-Rothschild that is so fleshy and generous. This is serious, aristocratic Mouton, a true vin de garde and yes, I do think drinkers will have to wait until it reaches its true peak. Sometimes that's just the way it is. Tasted September 2016.

Quite exceptional depth and youthfulness of colour - it looks younger than either the 1989 or 1990, and possibly even than the 1995! Still quite amazingly closed on the nose. There is obviously quite a bt of alcohol in this wine, perhaps a note of licorice again. Thick, deep, brooding, this wine hardly seems to have changed over the last 15 years. Very, very dry with lots of tannin on the finish which I am forced to wonder whether they will ever be resolved? This is like very dry blackcurrant essence with a note of menthol. Overall at the moment this is still a bit of a brute and I do wonder whether it will ever soften?Drink 2009-2025. Date tasted 19th Nov 04.

The enormously endowed, backward, ferociously tannic, massively extracted 2010 Mouton-Rothschild exhibits an opaque blue/purple color as well as a tight but promising nose of incense, licorice, lead pencil shavings, vanilla, blackberries and cassis. Full-bodied in the mouth, extremely young, and tasting like a barrel sample, this remarkable effort requires 10-15 years of cellaring. It should age well for half a century or more. Drink 2024 - 2065.

Only 49% of the production made it into the 2010 Mouton Rothschild, which has a strikingly beautiful label by Jeffrey Koons. This is a truly great wine, with a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and the other 6% Merlot. At 13.9% natural alcohol, Mouton's director, Philippe Dhalluin, has clearly produced another 50- to 60-year wine that has a chance at perfection in about 15 years time, when I suspect this wine will be rounding into drinking condition. It is dense, rich and full-bodied, with the classic Mouton creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and floral notes, but also some blueberry and hints of subtle espresso and mulberry. The wine has more minerality and precision than the rich, extravagantly opulent 2009, and while that may please some, others will have their patience tested as they wait and wait for this compelling Mouton Rothschild to hit full maturity.

The 2010 Mouton possesses the highest level of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) of any wine this estate has produced. Combined with 6% Merlot, the wine achieved 13.9% natural alcohol. Under director Philippe Dalhuin, the harvest was accomplished between September 28 and October 13, and only 49% of the crop made it into this powerful effort. Reminiscent of the 1986, it is a 50-60 year wine that is not meant for consumers looking for near-term gratification. This backward, tannic, full-bodied, exceptionally promising 2010 reveals enormous weight along with extravagant levels of precise, fresh boysenberry and creme de cassis fruit. The abundant minerality is due no doubt to the fresh acidity. In need of at least 15 years of cellaring, it will undoubtedly remain an infant at age 25 (as does the 1986).

Initially, there is a tangible strictness and linearity on the nose of this spellbinding Mouton-Rothschild, though it unfolds to reveal blackberry, mulberry, truffle and violets scents. The palate is medium-bodied but the tannins and silky and fine. This has a bewitching texture, seamless and utterly harmonious, the finish feminine and poised with outstanding mineralité. This might be the best wine ever produced under Philippe Dhalluin. Tasted January 2014.

Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin told me that the 2010s spent a little longer than usual in barrel and this was bottled in July. The Mouton-Rothschild 2010 has wonderful delineation on the nose that is refined, perhaps a little more linear than recent vintages, actually reminiscent of the superlative 2006 in style. The Cabernet Sauvignon is very expressive as one hoped since it contributes 96% of the blend. The palate is medium-bodied with a very expressive entry: blackberry, a thread of graphite, a touch of citrus fruit and a delicate touch of blueberry. It is tightly coiled; perhaps more so than Chateau Margaux at this point, but there is a dormant power that should be unleashed with ten years in bottle. This is an immense Mouton, its silky finish penetrating and unfathomably long. Tasted November 2012.

Of all the First Growths, Mouton has perhaps the most seductive bouquet with macerated black cherries, crème de cassis, blackcurrant, mint and cedar all with very fine delineation but a drop more opulence than say, Lafite or Latour. The palate is full-bodied with saturated, ripe tannins, layers of pure blackberry and dark cherries intertwined with a touch of blueberry. Very good grip, very smooth and flirting with the idea of ostentatiousness...but 2010 is not that kind of vintage and the Cabernet defined the finish with graphite and a touch of, what almost feels great mineralité, much more so than the 2009. Great length and poise, this actually reminds me of the stupendous 2006. Drink 2020-2050. Tasted March 2011.

This is pure Cabernet Sauvignon magic with incredible aromas of currants, blackberries and light spices. Tiny hints of hazelnut. Wet earth. Full body, with super velvety tannins. The purity of fruit is breathtaking. It goes on for minutes. This is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot. Try after 2020.

This is pure Mouton. The aromas to this wine are so fabulous. I thought right away back to the 1947, one of the great classics of Mouton. Menthol, minty, light eucalyptus, currants and dark fruits on the nose. Full bodied, with super intense and powerful fruit and tannins. So unique for a first growth. Almost all Cab. Magnificent. This is clearly better than 2009. 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 6 percent Merlot

18.5 Drink 2030-2050
Tasted 17 Feb: Very youthful and very Cabernet and pretty spicy. Very correct and with an attractive dryness on the finish. Very snazzy.
Tasted 8 Apr: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot. Burnished dark pruney crimson. Very opulent and heady on the nose. Lovely perfume. Lots of fully ripe black fruits. Amazingly polished - so much so that you are almost distracted from the huge tannic charge. Not quite as dense as some of the greatest 2010s but very well balanced. Hugely Cabernet. As in 2009, great care has been taken not to produce too heavy a wine. There is almost Lafite-like structure here. Very, very polished middle palate. Bone dry, pretty tannic finish. (Score: 18.5 30-45)

The 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou and 1996 Mouton Rothschild showed that Ducru is clearly first-growth in quality if not in name. Both were stunning efforts, with the Ducru revealing more depth and less noticeable oak whereas the Mouton seemed more tannic and oaky. For that reason, it is best cellared for another 5-10 years.

This estate's staff believes that the 1996 Mouton Rothschild is far more complex than the 1995, but less massive. I agree that among the first growths, this wine is exuberant, flamboyant bouquet of roasted coffee, cassis, smoky oak, and soy sauce. The 1996 Mouton Rothschild offers impressive aromas of black currants, framboise, coffee, and new saddle leather. This full-bodied, ripe, rich, concentrated, superbly balanced wine is paradoxical in the sense that the aromatics suggest a far more evolved wine than the flavours reveal. Anticipated: 2007-2030.

This estate’s staff believes that the 1996 Mouton Rothschild is far more complex than the 1995 but less massive. I agree that among the first-growths, this wine is showing surprising forwardness and complexity in its aromatics. It possesses an exuberant, flamboyant bouquet of roasted coffee, cassis, smoky oak and soy sauce. The impressive 1996 Mouton Rothschild offers impressive aromas of black currants, framboise, coffee, and new saddle leather. This full-bodied, ripe, rich, concentrated, superbly balanced wine is paradoxical in the sense that the aromatics suggest a far more evolved wine than the flavours reveal. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. By the way, the 1996 blend was identical to the 1995 – 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc.

Made from a blend virtually identical to the 1995 (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc), the 1996 has taken on weight and richness since I tasted it in spring 1997. An opaque purple colour is accompanied by an impressive, somewhat undeveloped but gorgeously pure crême de cassis nose with Asian spices, licorice, and smoaky oak in the background. Sweet, full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with formidable extract, ripe tannin, and a layered impression, this wine builds to a blockbuster finish. I am super-impressed by this wine's evolution during 1997, as it now looks to be a great Mouton which I underrated when I first tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030. Last tasted 3/98.

Tasted at the "First Growth" lunch in London. Not quite as exuberant as the bottle served blind at Farr's horizontal, but still a great Mouton. The nose is tighter than last time but will those similar traits of blackberry, cedar, cooked meats, perhaps here with just a tiny touch of greenness. The palate is medium-bodied with a lovely rounded texture, but underneath that has great structure and focus. Packed full of cedar towards the finish, never taking its eye off the ball, very tannic on the finish. This one is definitely for the cellar. Drink 2012-2030.

Very savoury nose. Dense and thick and sweet but not ethereal. Still very embryonic. Chewy tannins. Very correct and racy. Drink 2010-25

Surprise, surprise! The 1998 Mouton has emerged as the greatest wine produced at this estate since the perfect 1986, of which the 1998 is somewhat reminiscent. Like many of its peers, it has filled out spectacularly. Now in the bottle, this opaque black.purple-coloured 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 utilised), it is an extremely powerful, super-concentrated wine offering notes of roasted espresso, crème de cassis, smoke, new saddle leather, graphite, and licorice. It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavour profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity. This is another 50-year Mouton, but patience will be required as it will not be close to drinkability for at least a decade. This wine rivals the 1996 and 1995. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.

Perhaps the most beautiful packaging ever on a Bordeaux bottle, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild literally produced a work of art in the gold-engraved bottle of 2000 Mouton Rothschild. Of course, one can't drink the glass, but this is a top-flight Mouton Rothschild, eclipsed only by the 2006 and 2009. A rich, tannic, earthy style, with loads of creme de cassis and floral notes, the final blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot is a full-bodied wine with plenty of coffee, earth, chocolatey notes, and still plenty of tannin to resolve. I gave it an anticipated maturity range of 2015-2050 back in 2003, and that looks on target.

A behemoth, the gigantic 2000 Mouton Rothschild(86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14%Merlot)boasts a saturated purple colour as well as aromas of ink,cassis,hint of truffles.Unquestionably the greatest Mouton since the 1986 and 1982, this majestic effort will undoubtably close down, but enjoy an exceptionally long life. Anticipated maturity:2012-2050.

2000 Mouton Rothschild is at its best with about 24-48 hours of decanting. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, the wine offers a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to reticent but promising aromas of toast, coffee, licorice, creme de cassis, and roasted nuts. Dense, chewy, and backward, with tremendous purity and density in addition to obvious toasty oak, it is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and backward. Twenty-four to 48 hours of aeration only hints at its ultimate potential. This blockbuster will be exceptionally long-lived. It is not as expressive as the other first-growth Medocs, but give it time.

As I predicted in my first report on the millennium vintage (April, 2001), Philippine de Rothschild could be expected to do something special with her presentation of 2000. She has exceeded everyone's expectations with a work of art. Those who have seen the extraordinary packaging of the 2000 Mouton Rothschild must certainly realize this is a brilliant achievement. The bottle is extraordinary, and likely to have nearly as much value empty as full! Her genius is obvious, but it's what's inside that counts!

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.

The 2000 Mouton Rothschild is at its best with about 24-48 hours of decanting. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, the wine offers a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to reticent but promising aromas of toast, coffee, licorice, creme de cassis, and roasted nuts. Dense, chewy, and backward, with tremendous purity and density in addition to obvious toasty oak, it is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and backward. Twenty-four to 48 hours of aeration only hints at its ultimate potential. This blockbuster will be exceptionally long-lived. It is not as expressive as the other first-growth Medocs, but give it time. As I predicted in my first report on the millennium vintage (April, 2001), Philippine de Rothschild could be expected to do something special with her presentation of 2000. She has exceeded everyone's expectations with a work of art. Those who have seen the extraordinary packaging of the 2000 Mouton Rothschild must certainly realize this is a brilliant achievement. The bottle is extraordinary, and likely to have nearly as much value empty as full! Her genius is obvious, but it's what's inside that counts!Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+.

A behemoth, the gigantic 2000 Mouton-Rothschild (86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot) boasts a saturated purple color as well as aromas of ink, cassis, licorice, damp earth, and sweet oak. It reveals a cassis liqueur-like flavor profile with a hint of truffles. This majestic effort will undoubtedly close down, but enjoy an exceptionally long life. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050+.

The 2000 is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, and the wine comprises 80% of the production, which averaged 35 hectoliters per hectare. A potentially immortal wonder, Mouton's 2000 is so thick, it almost needs to be drunk with a spoon. At the same time, it has brutally high tannin.

There is a lot going on in this backward effort, including phenomenal concentration and extract, and a huge nose of smoke, creme de cassis, truffles, and new saddle leather. A wine of enormous constitution and awesome power, but neophytes and readers unwilling to invest twenty years of cellaring should look elsewhere. If the tannin becomes more integrated, and the wine increasingly seamless, it will merit its lofty rating. However, if the tannin becomes more abrasive, or the wine totally shuts down, the score will drop.

This is a long-term prospect for prospective purchasers given the fact that most Moutons made with this level of extract and tannin need 15-20 years of cellaring (look at the still infant 1982 and 1986). Nevertheless, this is a fabulously pure, brilliant achievement, perhaps destined for your children's children. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060. P.S. Don't be surprised if the proprietor, the creative Baronne Philippine de Rothschild, does something dramatic regarding the label or bottle in celebration of 2000.

More developed rim than most. Slightly raw, callow nose. Some sweetness on the front palate and then tannin on the very finish. Rather simpler than most other left bank 2000 first growths. Light, slightly green finish. Shorter than most and rather spindly - not absolutely obvious first growth from a tip top vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon 86% plus Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 80% went into the grand vin. Date tasted 16th Oct 07.

Sweet and ripe on the nose lots of black fruits and the palate has a mix of black cherry and bramble sweetness yet freshness. The fruit is ripe the mid palate supple and fleshy with at the back a firmer feel a supporting structure the finish lighter long, stylish and elegant. 2015-35

The 2004 Mouton-Rothschild was the first vintage for Philippe Dhalluin, who was so successful in persuading the late Philippine de Rothschild to institute a more strict selection with respect to Mouton-Rothschild. The outstanding 2004 exhibits delicious notes of cedarwood, Christmas fruitcake, blackcurrants and toast. The wine possesses outstanding concentration, medium to full body, excellent purity, hints of forest floor and underbrush, and sweet, velvety tannin. It is on a fast evolutionary track, so consume this over the next 10-15 years.

The dense ruby/purple-hued, fresh, vivacious 2004 Mouton-Rothschild offers hints of new saddle leather, truffles, cassis, and pain grille, zesty acidity, a touch of austerity, and a medium-bodied, streamlined, restrained personality. This rich, pure claret will require patience as it needs a decade of cellaring to shed its lofty tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2045.

The dense ruby/purple-hued, fresh, vivacious 2004 Mouton-Rothschild offers hints of new saddle leather, truffles, cassis, and pain grille, zesty acidity, a touch of austerity, and a medium-bodied, streamlined, restrained personality. This rich, pure claret will require patience as it needs a decade of cellaring to shed its lofty tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2045.

Unlike the massive, tannic, blockbuster 2003, Mouton’s 2004 is a more linear, streamlined effort fashioned from a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It possesses a deep ruby/purple color along with classic aromas of creme de cassis, pain grille, espresso, spice, and cedar. Medium-bodied and fragrant, but not profoundly deep or concentrated (a characteristic of most 2004s), it offers good sweetness, crisp acidity, and loads of purity as well as length. Consider it a modern day version of their 1966 or 1988. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2028.

Beautiful aromas of crushed berries and chocolate, with hints of Indian spices. Full bodied with silky, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is the first wine from the new winemaking team at Mouton and is showing really well. Best after 2011.

Layers of bright berry, currant and floral aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with lovely velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is from the new team at Mouton and showing excellent focus and structure. Long and silky. Fine. Serious

An extremely distinctive wine - almost mid Atlantic rather than Pauillac and therefore of course very winning. Very dark purple. Hidden, deep-flavoured nose. Some rather sweet notes - even ripe Merlot notes which dominate at the moment. Very smooth and flattering in texture with real polish - very supple tannins with lots of fruit on the front palate. Not nearly as dry as one would expect of a first growth Pauillac - almost a hint of Opus One in texture? No hint of oak. Very interesting and not at all severe. Drink 2015-30.

A major sleeper of the vintage and a great effort, the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild boasts abundant notes of crème de cassis, licorice, truffles, forest floor and cedarwood. The stunning aromatics are still somewhat primary, but the wine is full-bodied with sweet, abundant tannin. Built like a skyscraper with multiple dimensions, this super-concentrated, beautiful blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot should drink well for 30+ years.

A sensational effort, the 2006 Mouton Rothschild exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a classic Mouton perfume of creme de cassis, flowers, blueberries, and only a hint of oak. Dalhuin told me that in whisky barrel-tasting vintages such as 1989 and 1990, Mouton was aged in heavily-toasted barrels, and they have backed off to a much lighter toast for the barrels' interior. I think this has worked fabulously well with the cassis quality fruit they get from their Cabernet Sauvignon. The full-bodied, powerful 2006 possesses extraordinary purity and clarity. A large-scaled, massive Mouton Rothschild that ranks as one of the top four or five wines of the vintage, it may turn out to be the longest-lived wine of the vintage by a landslide. The label will undoubtedly be controversial as a relative of Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud, has painted a rather comical Zebra staring aimlessly at what appears to be a palm tree in the middle of a stark courtyard. I suppose a psychiatrist could figure out the relationship between that artwork and wine, but I couldn't see one. This utterly profound Mouton will need to sleep for 15+ years before it will reveal any secondary nuances, but it is a packed and stacked first-growth Pauillac of enormous potential. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+.

Ever since owner Philippine de Rothschild put Philippe Dalhuin in charge at Mouton in 2004 there has been a dramatic reduction in the amount of wine produced under the Mouton Rothschild label. The selection process has been ratcheted up to the level of other first-growths, and that is reflected in what is clearly the greatest Mouton produced since 1982 and 1986. As I indicated in my barrel tasting notes, only 44% of the crop made it into the 2006 grand vin, which is the lowest percentage in more than fifty years. The final blend includes a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) and the rest Merlot (13%). No Cabernet Franc was utilized in 2006, and purchasers will have a long wait until this wine reaches full maturity. Keep in mind that, where well-stored, the 1986 currently tastes like a 4-5 year old wine, and the 1982 is just beginning to enter early adolescence. If you extrapolate from that, the 2006 will need at least twenty years to reach a teen-age status, and probably will not hit its plateau of maturity for three decades.

This extraordinary Mouton should turn out to be the finest they have made since the monumental 1982 and 1986. In early tastings, Mouton often seems to tag along behind the other first-growths. Yet in 2006, there is no question that the Baronne Philippine de Rothschild gave carte blanche authority to her talented administrator, Philippe Dalhuin, to turn up the heat in 2006. Yields were a tiny 32 hectoliters per hectare, the harvest took place between September 20 and October 15, and a minuscule 44% of the crop made it into the grand vin (the lowest percentage in more than half a century). The final blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot is unusually high in Cabernet Sauvignon, but it possesses Mouton’s hallmarks of pure creme de cassis and flowers in addition to a toasty oak character. Profoundly concentrated, super-textured, and rich, Mouton’s powerful, full-bodied 2006 is unquestionably a strong candidate for the “wine of the vintage.” Kudos to Mouton’s winemaking team for fashioning this brilliant wine. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.

The 2006 Château Mouton-Rothschild has a brilliant bouquet that is extremely well defined: blackberry, minerals and graphite aromas that you could pluck from the ether. That sets you up nicely for what follows. The palate is very harmonious with supple tannin. The silver bead of acidity is beautifully judged and interwoven through this linear and classic Mouton that is reminiscent of those ethereal wines Baron Philippe oversaw during the 1950s. It is all about the precision and classicism without denuding the fruit intensity, to wit, a complete Mouton-Rothschild that is a strong candidate for wine of the vintage. This is the wine that really put winemaker Philippe Dhalluin on the map and rightly so.

Tasted at Mouton Rothschild. Deep black/purple colour. The nose seems a little over-extracted and lacking some delineation as a consequence. Scents of black cherries, cassis, iodine. Opulent as one comes to expect from Mouton. The palate is attractive, full-bodied, decadent and showy with ripe blackberries, cedar and cassis. The one problem I find is that it is dominated by too much new oak and it is difficult to discern the character of the wine underneath. It needs more poise and delineation although Mouton always improves significantly between now and the summer. Touch of black coffee on the finish. Certainly a commendable Mouton, but I need that oak to become more enmeshed within the fabric of the wine. Tasted April 2007.

Gorgeous aromas of currant, raspberry and mineral. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins. Long and caressing, building on the palate. Very pretty, very elegant. Subtle and seductive. This could be better than 2005. Wait and see.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, harvested 20 September - 5 October. Very dark purple but with quite a pale rim. Not very expressive on the nose at the moment - seems if anything a bit weedy. Very strict, bone dry, treading a very fine line between elegance and meagreness. They’re obviously playing the finesse card but the finish is very dry and drying indeed. This is very Cabernet, but has remarkably little weight. I think for a great wine to be this light it also has to have a bit more aromatic expression and allure but this may well develop.

Good bright, deep ruby. Great class to the aromas of blackcurrant, graphite, spices, cedar and flowers. The cabernet-dominated flavors are at once sweet and penetrating, with harmonious acidity and firm underlying minerality giving the wine a sappy, vibrant character. Extremely fine-grained wine finishing with very broad, suave tannins that saturate the front teeth. An outstanding 2006 with great potential.

Bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of cassis, blueberry, cedar and graphite. Wonderfully pure and silky in the mouth, with great subtle, slow-building intensity and superb energy and thrust. A real essence of cabernet sauvignon and Mouton terroir This one really rattled my brain-in the gentlest way. As silky as it is, it possesses bottomless depths. Finishes with big but noble tannins and outstanding length. I loved this wine the spring after the harvest, and it's even more impressive today. This should go on for decades, but today it's hard to imagine this wine going through an extended sullen stage. By the way, I'm a great fan of Lucien Freud's work, but his label for this wine does not do justice to the juice inside the bottle.

Very much back on form. The black fruits have a touch of spice and white pepper. The tannins are ripe and rounded bringing out the sweetness of the fruit and giving richness on the finish.

From an underrated vintage for many Bordeaux wines, the 2008 Mouton-Rothschild reveals classic notes of cigar box, forest floor, underbrush, vanillin, camphor, chocolate and abundant blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Beautifully finessed tannins coat the mouth, giving the wine a savory, expansive texture with no hard edges. It still has some tannin to shed, but this beauty is evolving quickly, displaying wonderful secondary nuances. It should age for 25+ years.

The final blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot exhibits tell-tale black currant liqueur, incense, charcoal and floral-like characteristics. The oak is pushed to the background, one of the major improvements director Philippe Dalhuin has made at this estate. Full-bodied, deep and impressively endowed, it is a deep, rich, less massive effort than either the 2010 or 2009. This gorgeous Mouton will be drinkable in 4-5 years and age effortlessly for three decades.

Mouton's vineyard was harvested between October 2-15, and the wine possesses an unexpectedly high pH of 3.85 (high for this vintage, but normal for a riper year). Made from low yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, it achieved a natural alcohol content of 13.2%, one of the highest ever for this estate. Made from 54% of the production, the 2008 Mouton Rothchild's final blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot has resulted in an atypically sweeter, more direct and opulent, fleshy Mouton. Keep in mind that this cuvee, because of the high Cabernet Sauvignon content as well as the terroir, is often backward, structured, and nearly foreboding in its youth. However, I do not think the 2008 will behave in that manner. There is plenty of tannin and exceptional density and ripeness, but the tannins are velvety, and I was amazed by how charmingly forward and fleshy this wine already is. A deep purple color, sweet aromas of creme de cassis, smoke, cedar, and an unmistakable floral component (another characteristic of the Cabernet Sauvignon in 2008) are found in this precocious, succulent Mouton that should firm up and put on more weight with aging. My score is somewhat conservative because it is hard to forget their prodigious 2006, but the 2008 will provide far more enjoyment and pleasure over the near-term than the 2006. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.

The 2008 Mouton Rothschild has a more open bouquet than I expected: blackberry, pencil box, a whiff of the Gironde estuary, a hint of pressed flowers with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannin, a little fleshier than the Château Margaux with a lovely saline finish that does not outstay its welcome. You could broach this now though personally I would prefer to wait. 2018 - 2040

Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. Yes, I did score the Grand Vin a solitary point above the Grand Vin under blind conditions but hey, that's how it goes. That should not detract from what is a superb Mouton. It is has a very intense nose with blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and graphite, gregarious and vivacious. The palate is medium-bodied with firm grip, a lot of substance here with a keen thread of acidity. Multi-layered, fanning out marvellously on the fleshy, crisp finish this Mouton should leave that upstart "Le Petit Mouton" behind once it has a few laps on the odometer. Tasted January 2012.

The '08 Mouton is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot (a substantially higher proportion of the former.) The nose is already quite complex: blackberry, oyster shell, briary, a touch of seaweed. Good definition, quite a mercurial nose, the oak well integrated. The palate is superb: great fruit intensity, this is an ebullient Mouton Rothschild with a real sense of energy and tautness. Superb balance, great poise, blackberry, boysenberry and a wonderful sense of mineralité towards the assertive finish. A certain sense of femininity about this Mouton. Regal!

Shows violet and crushed berries, with lots of other floral and fruit character. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long finish. Very, very pretty

Tighter and denser than the Petit Mouton with hidden depths and less obvious seduction. Very neat and firm with some fine polishing of texture and definite minerality at its core. Dry finish. Very fresh and neat. Finer boned than many Moutons - almost playing the Lafite card. All very introvert but nothing flashy. I found myself swallowing this at 9.20am! Well done.

The nose is stylish fragrant quite light with lots of violets and fresh black fruits. The palate has
good depth and weight of flavour the rounded tannins giving flesh and suppleness. The back
palate has weight of fruit and a touch of toasty oak. 2015-2035

There is a lot happening on the nose, first the fragrance of violets, then bilberry and bramble with underpinning all, rich cassis. The palate has depth of flavour, an appealing suppleness from rounded tannins, complexity from the coffee and toasty oak with stylish elegance from the bright raspberry and loganberry.

(83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot.) Fine purple-red, fine aromatic elegance, blackcurrants present, but subdued and a lovely satiny texture takes over with almost creamy tannins, a finely-grained wine almost understated now but with internal power and length that will continue to develop in barrel to show the lush fruit that is typical of Mouton. Drink 2017-35.