Critic Review
Vinous Table: Emilia, Bangkok, Thailand (May 2024)
The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild, well, what is there left to say? A lot, actually, because this wine is prone to variance between bottles. This one, bought a decade ago, was a fine example that suggests it is reaching full maturity. There’s plenty of dashing and glossy black fruit on the nose, with cedar, a touch of brown spices, graphite and sage. It’s decadent but more evolved than others. The palate is immense with body and girth, layers of slightly savory black fruit that is almost viscous in texture, quintessential Claret yet with just a suggestion of Mediterranean flair. Based on this bottle, I would be popping corks now, but as I mentioned, the next could be more youthful and primal.
Neal Martin - 96
Vinous Table: Rusty Staub Charity Dinner, New York (Dec 2015)
The 1982 Mouton Rothschild also comes across as muted and lacking in expression. Time in the glass is of no help. This is a perplexing showing.
Antonio Galloni - 92
Vertical Tasting of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Aug 2011)
Deep ruby-red with a hint of amber at the rim. Cassis, licorice, minerals, tobacco and cocoa on the complex nose; this has started to develop more tertiary aromas and is less fruit-forward than just a few years ago. The palate shows considerable sweetness and an almost opulent mouth feel, with blackcurrant and blackberry flavors given lift and clarity by harmonious acidity and complicated by graphite, tobacco and underbrush notes. The extremely long finish features a cool minty note and sweet, ripe tannins, but I also found a hint of astringency at the back that I had not tasted in previous bottles of this wine. A blockbuster wine, and still remarkably young: I can see this improving and lasting for another 40 years. This is a truly monumental wine and the best first growth of 1982, but I found this particular bottle to be a bit less explosive and rich than some other examples I have tried over the years.
Ian d'Agata - 98
Cleaning Out the Cupboard: Bordeaux 1943-2020 (Jan 2023)
This is one of the best bottles of 1982 Mouton-Rothschild that I have drunk. Intense and lavish on the nose, this bursts with blackberries, raspberry confit, wild mint and graphite aromas, yet there is a sense of calm and refinement, perhaps less VA than some examples. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with some of the finest tannins that I have noticed on this Mouton Rothschild. Slightly tertiary on the finish, it builds and builds and leaves you utterly smitten. My God, dare I say it almost reminds me of L* ***r? Tasted at La Trompette in London.
Neal Martin - 99
1982 Bordeaux, 20 Years On (Jul 2002)
Saturated dark red. Pure, subtle, highly aromatic nose of currant, cedar, eucalyptus and exotic oak. Wonderfully silky and opulent, with utterly compelling inner-mouth perfume and chewy depth. Showing spectacularly today and hiding its rock-solid underlying structure. The great finish shows extraordinary aromatic complexity and subtlety, along with big, dusty, fine tannins. This wine is a no-brainer: a clear knockout now and capable of going on for another two or three decades.
Stephen Tanzer - 97
The Wines That Shaped My Life (Mar 2022)
The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild is one that I have not met for quite a while, but it was a pleasure to be reacquainted. Whilst it can sometimes be a little too exuberant, I found this bottle beautifully refined with melted red fruit, red plum and wild strawberry, tobacco and freshly picked mint. Hints of black truffle emerge with time. The palate has mellowed in recent years, arguably borrowed some of Lafite’s refinement. Pliant in texture, there is more transparency to this Mouton and whilst it perhaps does not quite have the nobility of the 1982 Latour, it is just a sublime First Growth that gives immense satisfaction. Tasted at the Amos Bursary charity dinner at 67 Pall Mall.
Neal Martin - 98
