Wine Advisor
Mouton Rothschild 1985
View analysis
Description
Formerly known as Château Brane-Mouton, it was in 1853 that Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired the property located on the Left Bank in the Bordeaux region in the Médoc. From this date, the Château was renamed Château Mouton-Rothschild. Under the leadership of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild saw its reputation grow to become an emblem of the Pauillac appellation.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This estate compares their 1985 to their 1959, but to me it is more akin to their 1962 or 1953. A rich, complex bouquet of soy, leather, herbs, toasty oak, and ripe fruit is wonderful. This supple, velvety-textured, rich, forward, long and sexy Mouton is clearly the finest Medoc first-growth in 1985. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 8/93.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Wow, this is an exceptional bottle of Mouton ’85, one that had been kept in perfect conditions, i.e. at the chateau until April ’08 and subsequently opened dining with my boss and his family at “The Square”. The nose is simple sublime, marked by soft, earthy red-berried fruits, hints of cigar box and graphite with a bewitching sense of delineation and natural grace that I have note noticed on previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied, beautifully balanced and graceful and whilst never as ambitious as the following vintage Mouton, is content just to satiate the imbiber. Wonderful fresh, tobacco-led finish and superb length. It put a smile on my boss’s face – that is what wine should do. I have a feeling that unless another bottle is proffered at the chateau, this might be the best Mouton ’85 I will ever drink! Drink now-2020. Tasted June 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Last Tasted 8/92 I continue to be surprised, even shocked, by how evolved and easy to drink this wine is. This might well be another example of a 1985 that turns out to resemble the property's glorious 1953. Mouton's 1985 exhibits a powerful fragrance of herbs, smoke, roasted cassis fruit, and spice. While not a blockbuster, the wine is medium-bodied, extremely precocious, soft, and ripe, with gobs of lovely blackcurrant fruit, low acidity, and a lush texture. Because of its forward, succulent, seductive personality I would not hesitate to open a bottle now, yet it should last for at least 15-20 more years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted from an Imperiale at the Claret Club -85 Dinner at -The Square-. Interesting this: one of the best -85s but rendered far more reticent and backward in this large Imperiale format. It does have a gorgeous nose if you can wait for an hour and even so, much more generous and expressive than Lafite -85. Touches of pencil box, redcurrant and black truffle here. The palate is tannic, full-bodied and masculine, easing up with aeration, beautifully poised with a touch of black tea and tobacco towards the finish. This seems to be 10-years behind the regular bottle format! Tasted December 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Roberson’s in London. This bottle was not quite as spellbinding as the one opened with Bob last year but it remains a sublime Claret. The nose here has more graphite/pencil box signature, wonderful definition, the cigar box aromas then intensifying with aeration with red-berried fruit, bergamot and redcurrant. The palate is imbued with wonderful poise and elegance, not a powerful or tannic Mouton like the ’86, but still very harmonious and exuding freshness from start until finish with hints of tobacco and a hint of Lapsang Souchong lacing aftertaste. Drinking perfectly now. Tasted April 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Moderate density in colour: not as deep as Lafite or Margaux. The nose is well-defined in a classic Pauillac style with tobacco and dried blood notes. The medium-bodied palate is still a little austere and lacks some depth but would satisfy lovers of traditional classic claret. Lacks some vigour and roundness on the mid-palate but the finish has some fresh acidity and sweetness. A fine wine although not in the same league as the 1986. Nice label though. Tasted July 2003.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Mystery Wines. In the largest of the tastings of 1985 California cabs, there was a mystery wine in each flight. Following are my notes on these wines and what wine I thought each was. Yes, I know, this wine cannot possibly merit a score this low. But the purpose of this report is to share in the most candid fashion as possible my impressions and raw tasting notes. As I indicated earlier I mistook the 1985 Field Stone Statton Family Reserve for the Mouton. I thought the Mouton was a relatively light, fully mature 1985 California Cabernet. My notes read, "herbal, spicy, ready to drink, sweet, round, attractive, but straightforward and not very concentrated." I cannot believe this wine did not perform better, but it did not show well in this flight of 10 1985 California Cabernet Sauvignons. It was blown away by the likes of the Groth regular bottling, Spottswoode, Caymus Special Selection, Field Stone, and Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard. C'est la vie.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The rich, complex, well-developed bouquet of oriental spices, toasty oak, herbs, and ripe fruit is wonderful. On the palate, the wine is also rich, forward, long, and sexy. It ranks behind both Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux in 1985. I am surprised by how evolved and ready to drink this wine is. Readers looking for a big, boldly constructed Mouton should search out other vintages, as this is a tame, forward, medium-weight wine that is close to full maturity. It is capable of lasting another 15+ years. This estate compares their 1985 to their 1959, but to me it is more akin to their 1962 or 1953. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012. Last tasted, 10/97.
About the Producer
Chateau Mouton Rothschild is located in the Pauillac appellation in the Medoc of Bordeaux, France. In the 1855 classification, it shares the distinction of being a First Growth with Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut-Brion. Mouton Rothschild has adopted a modern approach to winery management, employing a viticulturalist to oversee the vineyards. From the cultivation of the grapes to the pruning of the vines, from the tracking of the ripening of the grapes to the manual harvesting, everything is done to perfection. Today, Château Mouton has 90 hectares of vineyards, most of which are located on a hill called "Plateau de Mouton", at an altitude of 27 meters. The soil is deep gravel, with good drainage and heat storage, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly. The vineyard is planted with 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with a planting density of approximately 10,000 vines/ha and an average vine age of 44 years. The vineyard also contains 7 hectares of excellent plots for the production of high quality white wines, with 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle, planted at a density of 9,000 vines per hectare. During the harvest season, the grapes are picked and sorted by hand, and the carefully selected grapes are placed in fermentation vats by gravity alone through moving vats. As a result, the grapes are not subjected to any unnatural pressure or restraint and remain in their natural, pure state from the time they are harvested until they enter the fermentation vats. At the end of fermentation, the wine is transferred to new oak barrels to mature for about 20 months. In 2012, Mouton Rothschild's new winery, which combines traditional techniques with modern technology, was inaugurated. It is divided into two floors, connected by metal columns. The interior is equipped with oak barrels and stainless steel tanks of different sizes, which correspond to the different plots and varieties of the vineyard, in order to achieve a more optimal winemaking blend. Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, France is the main wine of the estate and accounts for half of the total production. It has been praised by many critics and wine lovers for its beautiful, elegant and unique style, which is in harmony with the terroir of the region, and its artistic design of the label. In addition to the main label, the winery also has Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, France (1993) and Aile d'Argent Blanc du Mouton (1991). Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Bordeaux, France). The Petit Mouton Rothschild is made from the younger vines on the estate and is harvested, vinified and bottled on the same basis as the full-length wine. The wine quickly gained a foothold in the market and was very well received. The Silver Wings dry white wine is rich, complex and elegant, and although its production is scarce, it is quickly becoming a symbol of Bordeaux's premium white wines and a favorite among wine enthusiasts.
1947(2)1948(1)1950(2)1951(1)1952(1)1953(1)1954(1)1955(2)1956(1)1957(3)1958(2)1959(1)1960(1)1962(1)1963(1)1964(2)1965(1)1966(1)1967(1)1968(2)1969(2)1970(1)1971(2)1972(1)1973(3)1974(1)1975(2)1976(1)1977(2)1978(1)1979(3)1980(1)1981(1)1982(8)1983(2)1984(5)
Package Size
