I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Mouton. I have been thrilled many times in the past, especially vintage nineteen-eighty two, but other vintages as well. Yet all too often I am disappointed. When it is on, there is nothing like the bold and flashy blackcurrant fruit of Mouton supported by suave tannins and acidity. But if it is not, it can be dull and muted. So - time to line 'em up and see where mature vintages are at now.
Champagne
2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
The 2009 Cristal is in a perfect place to drink now. The relatively warm vintage has produced a lovely sweet and peachy fruity version which is all too easy to suck down in big gulps since the acidity is borderline low. Just plain delicious. (94 pts.)
Young-ish
1996 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Distinctly young. Exuberant and a very fresh. Bursting with mixed berry flavors. A little too juicy and acidic for me but others were very enthusiastic. Clearly a wonderful wine but after 30 years it is still a (promising) adolescent. Rated for potential. (94 pts.)
1989 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
It is odd how Mouton struck out in this great Left Bank vintage where they should have made a worthy successor to the 1982 and 1986. It's subdued and unfocused and the finish is dry. It seems like the grapes may have been overripe. Mouton should never be dull like this. Sad. (88 pts.)
1988 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
I have a soft spot for 1988 Mouton even though it is clearly not a great wine. It's a throwback Bordeaux, more like something from a decade or two before. It will not dazzle you with its bold cassis fruit but rather seduce you with its structure and tertiary elements of cigar smoke and minerality. So don't sip it out by the pool but rather match it with a hearty steak. (92 pts.)
Mid-Eighties - the Sweet Spot?
1986 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Nineteen eighty-six Mouton is frustratingly variable, sometimes forbiddingly backwards and sometimes bold and almost luscious. This bottle was in the middle. Unusually, it showed a lot of dirt and charcoal in an intriguing way. While slightly bitter, it improved in the glass. But unlike the 1988, there is more blackberry fruit so the result is better. Like John Lennon might have said, "let it breathe, let it breathe." (93 pts.)
1985 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This was one of the best examples of 1985 Mouton, which is commonly dull and surly. Relatively soft as expected for the vintage yet the black and red fruit can easily be discerned in a low key way. Nice balance of fruit, alcohol and acidity. Pleasant complexity. A second glass is welcome. (92 pts.)
1982 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This bottle was shockingly young, perhaps partly because it is one I purchased on release. Extremely concentrated and intense, which sounds good - but also very tangy and tannic which unfortunate cuts off the enjoyment. Most of the tasters were much more enthusiastic than I, though. All the elements are there for decades of evolution and previous bottles were much more friendly. (92 pts.)
Old and Questionable
1975 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Most 1975 Bordeaux are forbiddingly tannic and unpleasant. The early accolades for the vintage did not pan out, although the Right Bank is more successful. This Mouton however is just a little mean and the formidable structure has been sanded off by the half century of aging. Obviously tertiary. One glass is enough but it is worth the study. (91 pts.)
1966 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This bottle was one of the better ones of the vintage for Mouton. Sometimes too dry and austere, instead this time there was a delightful streak of violet and raspberry underneath the typical austere package. It is too firm and tart for maximum pleasure but with the right food pairing it is very much worth drinking. (93 pts.)
Legendary Vintages
1959 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
I have typically found the 1959 Mouton a step behind the 1961 and today was no exception. More burly, much less elegant, more "brown" in flavor, a little dry. Autumn leaves. Still, on its own a wine of contemplation and some enjoyment since it does not taste faded much less morbid. (91 pts.)
1961 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
At a 1961 Bordeaux horizontal tasting in 2022, Mouton secured first place with a dazzlingly great performance. This bottle could not match the near perfect brilliance of that one but was still exceptional. The color was a gorgeous healthy ruby with an orange tinge. The fragrance was a captivating mixture of blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and rose petal. If it were not for the slightly excessive acidity this bottle would have been phenomenal instead of merely great. Somehow, underneath the acidity was that special old Bordeaux brown sugar sweetness. Only a very few 1961s are still alive but this is one of them. (96 pts.)
Ancient: You Hope For Greatness
1949 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Astonishing and wonderful. If you get very lucky you can find an ancient wine that instead of being decrepit is very much alive and endlessly interesting to explore. This is that wine. Beautiful garnet color, no brown. Mellow of course but by no means puerile or tiring. Sweet and silky. Nice structure still with well judged acidity and tannins still. Lovely complexity. Doesn't hold up forever in the glass but doesn't expire prematurely either. (94 pts.)
1945 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
When you do a Mouton vertical, if you want to be complete, you must find a legitimate bottle of the near mythical 1945. I sourced this bottle from Heritage auctions who informed me it had been purchased over 30 years ago by a collector who had purchased it on site from a wine shop in St. Émilion with good storage. The label and capsule certainly looked correct. The black cork was fully saturated but definitely firm and came out in nearly one piece. The color was excellent for age too. No trace of TCA. But even getting close to the glass it was immediately obvious the wine was spoiled by volatile acidity. A few tasters were brave enough to take a sip and one detected some beautiful berry fruit buried deep beneath the acid. The one bad bottle out of the dozen in the Mouton vertical. I just wish it had been any other bottle. NR (flawed)
Yquem
1955 Château d'Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Yes, even Yquem can get too old, if this bottle is representative. I could see the color well. But on both nose and palate there was none of the fireworks you sometimes get with mature Yquem and even the texture was thinner than usual. Good level of sweetness and not too tart or bitter. But where is the myriad of scents and flavors of botrytis, peach, apricot, brown sugar and lemon? I yearned for more complexity but could not find it. (90 pts.)
Of course, no one tasting can give a definitive reading on a wine over the course of many decades. And obviously, the 1945 was DOA. So, as usual, some were outstanding and some were disappointing. And yet, and yet - only two were dazzling. Perhaps twenty-first century examples are more consistent. A fascinating experience for all of us, though. Posted from CellarTracker
Last edited by s*d*r on Mon Mar 02, 2026 8:30 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Fabulous group of wines; thanks for the great synopsis. I was glad to learn the '09 Cristal is in a good place now as I was thinking about cracking one soon.
My more limited experience with Mouton mirrors what you wrote in your introduction. I hope that my remaining '82 will be friendlier than the one you drink this time. Up to now, all I have drunk have been very good, with the best one deserving of its Parker score.
I am puzzled why Mouton did not make top wines in '89 and '90 after doing so well in '88.
Condolences on the '45. I have had a few bad experiences on older wines from Heritage, but none had anything like the fame of '45 Mouton.
Nobody could accuse you of grade inflation, which is ever so refreshing in this day and age.
I just wanted to indulge my experiences to compare with yours and while there is much I agree with I think we are furthest apart on the 1985 and 1989 vinatges…which is probably more down to the ‘only good bottles’ syndrome
The 1988 in my experience has been solid but not spectacular - LLC is nicer - Lafite and Latour are better.
1996 - last bottle I tried in December (from my own cellar) was painfully backward - even more backward than the 1995, which is starting to drink well now…a great wine in the making but needs time
About a decade ago I bought a case of the 1989 - every bottle has been fabulous - it is at best medium bodied but a beautifully nuanced and complex wine based on my case
The 1985 is rather similar - the one we had in November edged out Lafite and Cheval Blanc to be my wotn. A sensational bottle, but the last few have been brilliant.
Whereas I am losing patience with the 1986 - for every great bottle you have three that are as you described. The last 1982 I drank last April was underwhelming but can of course can be epic … bottles and all that.
As for the older wines, the 1975s I have experienced have been up and down, I liked the 1961 in 2019 but preferred the 1985 at the same time event.
Last edited by Comte Flaneur on Mon Mar 02, 2026 12:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Amazing tasting wine experience, Stuart. I think I've tasted perhaps a handful of Moutons in my life, and I think that all were at BWE gatherings. Thanks for sharing.
Just terrific tasting and notes Stu. Love that you tell it like it is. Seems sad that favorites like the 1982 and 1986 are not that reliable.
I too have a soft spot for the ‘88 as it’s our wedding year. I’ve had it more often than any other Mouton. It’s old school, rustic, and minerally, exactly as you describe.
Another great post sdr. Nice description about this mixed case of Mouton.
I’m happy to read the 1996 was among your favorite in the youngsters. But seems like the older vintages like 49, 61 and 66, get you more emotion than the 82 or 86.
I guess Mouton was better when it was a ‘’super second’’
Yes, interesting notes.
Regarding the 1982 it may simply be a bit of bottle variation.
Similarly I have had mixed experiences and MR has not exactly on the top of my list of priorities. I have not bought it since 2002 (EP) and the vintages I did have ended up at auction after leaving Australia. So the 75, 79, 85, 95, 96 and 2002 went under the hammer. After moving to balmy Singapore I also saw little point in buying more as the weather is just not kind to them.
My issue with Mouton is both vintage variability and style. The other 1ers Crus seem more unique to me. Mouton - except in the best vintages - tasted to me too much like a good Coonawarra from a warm and dry vintage. That is not at all a criticism - I drink Coonawarra wines with some regularity- but I am always hoping for Bordeaux that does not taste like an Australian wine.
At auction here, irrespective of vintage other than 2000, Mouton goes for lower prices than the other 1ers. Latife and Latour are the highest priced then Margaux. HB and then Mouton.
Cheers
Mark
Mouton is my least favorite of the 1st growths. Even when presented with bottles other people think are great, I don't enjoy them enough.
I recently was at a tasting which had a 6L of 1975 Mouton as a highlight. It was almost exactly the same as your note - good fruit and rough edges gone but not nearly the precision or length I expect from sound old 1st growths in decent vintages.
Great notes. I had Mouton 3 times last year, a really good and young 95, a very good 75 but which was bettered by the 75 LMHB. Sadly a magnum of 82, which I’d owed for over 20 years and kept for my 60th was corked.
My favorite Mouton has always been the 1986, followed closely by 1982.
I've been lucky to ave the '86 Mouton a half dozen times or so over the years.
It has consistently provided the best finish ever on any wine I've ever tasted, taste-buds-numbing, like a shot of Novocaine.
A corked mag of '82 Mouton? Ugh - that really sucks.
I would have a tough time choosing between the '82 and '86. The '82 has edged out the '86 two out of the three times I've had them side by side. I can't say I've ever experienced a taste-bud-numbing, Novocaine-like finish on Mouton or any other wine, nor can I understand how that could be a positive attribute. I'm guessing it's some sort of hyperbole unrelated to actual numbing, and I'm being too literal. Though there have been one or two occasions in my misspent youth where I drank so much my lips felt numb.
Lol David, yes, I think I reached that with a Boones Farm or two back in the day.
The first time I remember drinking 1986 Mouton was a bottle Mr. Vino brought, I think it was at Sonoma '06.
I remember the finish went on for at least a minute, and there was an orgiastic "numbing" sensation in the taste buds at the back of my mouth.
Stuart has brought a bottle or two to BWE events over the years since and I have experienced that same elongated finish that goes on and on.
The 1982 Moutons I have had have been generally splectacular as well.
For me it is a similar experience with 1982 and 1986 Pichon Lalande, I give the 1986 the nod.
With Gruaud Larose I give the 1982 the nod over the 1986.
