Critic Review
Rockeries in Living Rooms: 1988 vs. 1989 Bordeaux (Jul 2024)
The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild can be variable from bottle to bottle. This example has an odd nose with a dab of wild mint. It just lacks a bit of class and feels clammed shut most of the time. The palate is medium-bodied, slightly chewy and has darker fruit compared directly with the 1989 Lafite-Rothschild. It coheres nicely on the finish, but this is not the best example overall, hence the question mark against my score. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at 67 Pall Mall.
Neal Martin - 89
Rockeries in Living Rooms: 1988 vs. 1989 Bordeaux (Jul 2024)
Whereas the 1989 Mouton-Rothschild opened at 67 Pall Mall failed to pass muster, this bottle tasted four months later was outstanding, many voting it the standout wine of the 1989 dinner. It has a quintessential Pauillac nose that gains more and more complexity with aeration: blackberry, pencil shavings, and freshly rolled tobacco, all wrapped up in First Growth refinement. The oak is beautifully integrated, a fine-boned Pauillac that errs towards Lafite in style. It's "Old School" in the best sense of the word. This is unequivocally the best bottle of the 1989 Mouton that I have had, including a couple of the estate. Tasted at the 1989 dinner at Piccolino in London.
Neal Martin - 95
Vertical Tasting of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Aug 2011)
(a blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc and 8% merlot; ph 3.8; IPT 60; 12.7% alcohol; 96% new oak; 91% selection for the grand vin): Bright red with a pale rim. Floral, aromatic nose offers scents of lavender, sour red cherry, strawberry jelly, vanilla, cinnamon and minerals. Sweet, suave and fresh, with lively if delicate flavors of ripe red berries and plum nicely lifted by aromatic spices and cedar. Finishes bright and pure, with an enticing sense of refinement, but a tad short and diffuse. A very attractive wine but I would have liked a little more concentration. Tourbier feels that the ultra-hot year caused a super-ripening of the grapes, which led to softer tannins, less color and a slight compression of aromas and flavors. Ready to drink now. The average yield here of 65 hectoliters per hectare was higher than that of 1990 but lower than 1986. The summer was the second hottest recorded at the time since the war, and the vintage also recorded the lowest rainfall since 1949. Incidentally, this was Eric Tourbier's first vintage. The high new oak percentage, he told me, is a reflection of the fact that the vintage was considered a great one and Mouton bought a lot of new barrels that year. The very early harvest took place from September 6 through 25.
Ian d'Agata - 90
A Century of Bordeaux: The Nines (Sep 2019)
The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild is a vintage that I have always had a lot of time for. Now at 30 years of age, it has quite a potent bouquet of blackberries, raspberry coulis, cedar and mint that feels opulent but youthful. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity, and quite succulent in mouthfeel, featuring generous wild strawberry mixed with cedar and tobacco. There is a sense of swagger about this Mouton-Rothschild and it feels very persistent on the surprisingly dense finish. Very fine. Tasted from an ex-cellar bottle at the château.
Neal Martin - 93
Cleaning Out the Cupboard: Bordeaux 1943-2020 (Jan 2023)
The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild can be a useful performer. Served blind, it has an intense bouquet with blackberry, cedar and mint, cassis bubbling up with aeration that brings you straight to Pauillac. Lovely definition, there's something effortless about this. The palate is medium-bodied and does not quite live up to the nose's promise. With red berry fruit, ash and light spicy aromas, this has moved on in terms of maturity in the last two or three years. But it's still a delicious, classic Mouton that will give another 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. Served at a private dinner in Pauillac.
Neal Martin - 93
Cleaning Out the Cupboard: Bordeaux 1943-2020 (Jan 2023)
The 1989 Mouton-Rothschild can be a useful performer. Served blind, it has an intense bouquet with blackberry, cedar and mint, cassis bubbling up with aeration that brings you straight to Pauillac. Lovely definition, there's something effortless about this. The palate is medium-bodied and does not quite live up to the nose's promise. With red berry fruit, ash and light spicy aromas, this has moved on in terms of maturity in the last two or three years. But it's still a delicious, classic Mouton that will give another 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. Served at a private dinner in Pauillac.
Neal Martin - 93
