1998 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x75cl

JancisRobinson.com 17.5

Harvested 28 September to 6 October. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 57% of production used for the grand vin. The most variable wine of the tasting – one bottle corked, two edgy and a little green. The best bottle (described here) was much better. Deep core, intense purple, plenty of concentration and potential here. Powerful red- and black-cherry flavours combined with warm, spicy oak. Tannins still a little harsh on the finish. (AWH) [24/09/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030

Robert Parker 97

"Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-brick in color with lovely creme de cassis, dried roses, hoisin and baking spice notes with underlying notions of dried cherries and mulberries plus touches of wood smoke, incense and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and packed with rich fruit framed by firm, chewy tannins, it is stacked with complex, evolving flavors and finishes with incredibly long-lasting perfumed notes. According to winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, this needs about three hours of decanting at this stage. I simply love the place this wine is in right now, possessing plenty of mature, tertiary characters yet still sporting bags of fruit. It won’t be fading anytime soon either and should cellar nicely for 20-25+ more years." [Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 31/05/2018]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2043

Vinous 93+

(86% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot and 2% cabernet franc; pH 3.82; IPT 76; 12.3% alcohol; a 57% selection): Very deep saturated ruby. Archetypical cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose offers fresh blackcurrant, lead pencil and flowers complicated by strong spice notes. Bright and juicy on entry, with very pure flavors of dark berries, underbrush and dried herbs, then slightly austere and linear in the middle palate. Finishes with a lingering saline nuance and very good length. A very refined and impeccably balanced Mouton, but I would have liked a little bit more concentration and opulence for an even higher score. This classic Mouton possesses relatively high acidity and a solid tannic structure; it offers early accessibility but should age effortlessly for another 15 or 20 years. In 1998, after a couple years of experimentation, Mouton began to de-leaf in a systematic fashion on both sides of the vine rows. Another vintage with a large crop, 1998 featured an unsettled September with rain falling during the cabernet sauvignon harvest (one of the reasons why 1998 is widely considered a Right Bank year.) [Ian D’Agata, 08/01/2011]