Close encounters of the Mouton kind

[Comte Flaneur]

An absorbing encounter with Château Mouton Rothschild last night:

1970, 1989, 1990

1985, 1988, 1996

1961, 1982, 1986

Topped and tailed with DP 02 and Yquem 90, both superb, with eight of us around the table so more than enough to go around.

After our Lafite dinner we were dizzy, after Latour we were underwhelmed because Lafite has set an impossibly high bar, and after Mouton I was glowing, fitting with Michael Broadbent’s controversial aphorism: Lafite is a racehorse, Mouton is a thoroughbred and Latour is a cart horse.

F1

1970 - a fabulously resolved bottle in the perfect place. Pure and elegant. A delight. Effortless grace. The 1970 vintage is notoriously unreliable especially at Mouton, but this bottle was a dream, and reminded me of a perfect bottle of the 1975 a few years ago (also highly variable). My top rated wine of the night.

1989 - it has a super red fruited entry with some leanness on the palate. Similar to the bottle we had a few weeks ago it lacks the complexity and heft of the best 1989s but it is a delightful bottle of claret if you are rich enough to drink it on a regular basis. Paul described it as a good luncheon claret which is a little unfair in my opinion. My seventh equal wine.

1990 - roundly panned by the critics and by last night’s attendees, this comes across as much more evolved than anything here barring the 1970. But, while it is loose, and will not make old bones, it is a remarkably enjoyable and scrumptious mouthful with soy entry and walnuts on the palate. Who cares what Parker said? Enjoy this now. Seventh equal wine.

F2

1985 - weaves its way out of the blocks, slightly high-toned entry of balsam-cedar; fine line, then it does its mesmerising Messi-Maradona weaving and gets better and better. Like those footballing legends it finishes well. An outstanding bottle. My third rated wine.

1988 - from magnum the wine that ran away with our 1988 tasting last night was youthful, tight, austere and a bit leaner than the 1985, with a stern tannic streak still in evidence. Needs ten more years in this format. Seventh equal wine.

1996 - an extension of the 1988, inkier, denser, you can tell that this has a great future, which you cannot say with the same degree of confidence about the 1986. Still a good 5-10 years away from reaching its plateau. My sixth rated wine.

F3

1961 - a veritable thrill and first ever encounter. It has a remarkable intensity of menthol and cassis, concentrated, powerful, long-lived, a complete wine and a tour de force. Unlike the 1970 it is not relaxed, it is coiled. Like a caged wild animal. Group favourite by a fair distance. My second rated wine.

1982 - rich red berry fruit, full, giving, rich. It just lacked the exuberance of great bottles of this which are truly epic. My fourth rated wine.

1986 - like the spaceship leaving the solar system when this will be ready? Dark, opaque and brooding, with olives on the entry. Pure and monolithic with fabulous fruit. Even though it has not really developed much complexity I do enjoy drinking this. My fifth rated wine.

After the Lafite dinner Chris and I sat slumped in our chairs as in ‘wow’ what a tasting. After the Latour there was a palpable sense of being underwhelmed but mainly because Lafite had set such a high bar. After Mouton I had a warm glowing feeling. Roll on Chateau Margaux.

The group pecking order (Methode Comte Flaneuse) was something like 1961 20 points, 1985 8 points, 1982 and 1970 4 points each.

[JimHow]

Wow! Wow! Wow!

As I’ve been telling you guys for years, Latour is overrated.
I love Lafite and Mouton, two properties we will be visiting in March!

[Jay Winton]

A great night. Thanks for sharing!

[stefan]

Great report on a fantastic evening, Ian.

[Blanquito]

Amazing. Sounds like Mouton should be elevated to a First Growth!

Total aside, but I am increasingly of the opinion that 1970 is a badly underrated vintage, by Parker and seemingly every other critic too. Unfortunately they probably need to be enjoyed soon and the auction market can be a minefield with wines so old, but I’ve had one sensational 1970 after another over the last 8 years. Sounds like we need to add the 70 Mouton to the list.

[JCNorthway]

A good friend of mine who has bought a lot of wine, and knows a lot about Bordeaux wines, thinks that 1970 is by far the best vintage between 1961 and 1982. He is still working through his 1970s (and a few 1961s).

[Comte Flaneur]

It is a highly variable vintage in my experience but when all the ducks are lined up in can be wonderful. The Mouton last night was maybe the best yet, but one bottle of Latour was magnificent too. Not tried Petrus nor Trotanoy. Ducru can be fabulous in 1970...I remember a great bottle at one of Jacques’s pool parties a few years ago. Have been collecting 1970s over the last year or so for the 50th anniversary next year...

[stefan]

1966 is more consistent than 1970, but the best wines were better in 1970 IMO. "By far" is a stretch, I think.

[sdr]

Great tasting and excellent notes as usual, Ian.

You had a better experience with Mouton than I have had.

My 1970 Moutons have all been fair to awful, even when much younger when they were better. The 1982 by contrast, has been excellent to magnificent, 1985 just okay but not inspiring, ‘89/‘90 mediocre at best, ‘00 great, ‘75 impossibly tannic and bitter. Haven’t tasted ‘88 or ‘96 yet. The ‘59 and ‘61 can be stupendous.

As for 1970 Bordeaux in general, I find almost all of them very weak and tired, even from bottles purchased on release. A local collector just did a ‘70 tasting a few weeks ago, I’ll put up my notes here soon. Only Pétrus is/was still magnificent, but who drinks that?

Agree that ‘66 is definitely better, but most of them are on life support as well, many of them are DNR status.

Stu

[jckba]

Sounds like an awesome wine night, thanks for sharing.

[Nicklasss]

Very nice report Comte. Mouton is a wooly wine, seems to me always delivering. But my hard question: you preferred the 1970, when Mouton was still having fun with Léoville Las Cases, Montrose, Cos d'Estornel and Ducru Beaucaillou. The move to First Growth is surely deserved, but recognized? If you're promoted to First Growth, you don't want to be the last First Growth. Seem to me like the "flamboyance" of Mouton did not helped it, but, on the long run, I can see more report on excellent Mouton than some other First... a matter of taste, faith and devotion I guess.

Nic

P.s. Mouton Rothschild has always been good with me.

[Comte Flaneur]

Nic I always considered Mouton deserving of its first growth status despite its ups and downs. Not least because the estate is capable of making wines like the 1945, 1959, 1961, 1982 and some of the more recent wines under Philippe Dalhuilan.

[jal]

I had good experiences with the 1970, 1975 and 1988 Mouton but that was at least ten years ago. Thank you for the notes Ian.

[tim]

I've had several Bordeaux from 1970, and I've hated almost all of them. So this is something of a surprise. For me, 1970 has been a completely overrated vintage, and I much prefer 75 or 78. And I have universally loved wines from 66.

[Blanquito]

This calls for a 1970 tasting!

I’ve had maybe 20 wonderful wines from 1970 in the last 5-8 years. Many of the best have been Right Bankers (Magdelaine, Figeac, Canon, Conseillante, Trotanoy) but I’ve had some delightful left bankers too.

I’ve had far fewer 66s but I’ve enjoyed those a lot as well.

[tim]

I have three in my cellar: Ducru, Gloria, and LLC. If we are in the same city I'm happy to open.

[DavidG]

Great report Ian, as usual. You are living well! Or at least drinking well.

Very little 1970 experience here and none in the cellar. A 1970 Haut Brion and Petrus, thanks to the generosity of others, were memorable.

[Blanquito]

Yum, 1970 Haut Brion. Had that once, very good, special even.