Wine Advisor
Mouton Rothschild 1986
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: Neal Martin
The 1986 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that was picked from 2 October until 16 October. Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, who was not working at the property back then, told me that the pH was fairly low at 3.54 when it is usually around 3.75, due to the natural tartaric acid in the vines. It has a powerful and intense bouquet as always: exemplary graphite and cedar scents, a touch of black pepper and incense. It seems to unfurl in the glass, like a motor revving its engine. The palate is beautifully balanced with its trademark firm tannic structure, a Mouton-Rothschild with backbone and masculinity. Layers of black fruit intermingling with mint and graphite, a hint of licorice emanating from the Merlot, gently fanning out and my God, it is incredibly long. It is not like the 1985 Mouton-Rothschild that is so fleshy and generous. This is serious, aristocratic Mouton, a true vin de garde and yes, I do think drinkers will have to wait until it reaches its true peak. Sometimes that's just the way it is. Tasted September 2016.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In 1986, Mouton-Rothschild produced the most profound wine of a great northern Medoc vintage. The sensational opaque black/ruby color may be even denser than that of the 1982. It requires coaxing and extended airing to bring forth the subdued bouquet of minerals, celestial blackcurrants, smoky new oak, and spices. The wine possesses incredible concentration, full body, fabulous length, and is - well - perfect. At present, this exemplary effort is a huge, monolithic, totally unevolved wine. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2040. Last tasted, 1/93 (from a magnum).
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Certainly a great Mouton, it has a very deep black/garnet core. The nose is fantastic, soaring from the glass with layer upon layer of blackberries, cassis, cedar, Alpine forest and a hint of limestone. Superb delineation. The palate is still stubbornly backward with a very tannic, uncompromising entry but that leads to a lovely pure palate imbued with an almost citrus-like freshness. It remains an obdurate Mouton and it will be a spectacular wine in 10-20 years. For those with patience. Drink 2018-2030+ Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
After stumbling over some wines I thought were high class Bordeaux, I nailed this wine in one of the blind tastings for this article. In most tastings where a great Bordeaux is inserted with California Cabernets, the Bordeaux comes across as drier, more austere, and not nearly as rich and concentrated (California wines are inevitably fruitier and more massive). To put it mildly, the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild held its own (and then some), in a flight that included the Caymus Special Selection, Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Dunn Howell Mountain, and Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard. Clearly the youngest looking, most opaque and concentrated wine of the group, it tastes as if it has not budged in development since I first tasted it out of barrel in March, 1987. An enormously concentrated, massive Mouton-Rothschild, comparable in quality, but not style, to the 1982, 1959, and 1945, this impeccably made wine is still in its infancy. Interestingly, when I was in Bordeaux several years ago, I had this wine served to me blind from a magnum that had been opened and decanted 48 hours previously. Even then, it still tasted like a barrel sample! I suspect the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild requires a minimum of 15-20 more years of cellaring; it has the potential to last for 50-100 years! Given the outrageously high prices being fetched by so many of the great 1982s and 1990s (and lest I forget, the 1995 Bordeaux futures), it appears this wine might still be one of the "relative bargains" in the fine wine marketplace. I wonder how many readers will be in shape to drink it when it does finally reach full maturity? The tasting notes for this section are from two single blind tastings, one conducted in May, 1996, in California, and the other in June, 1996, in Baltimore.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-black colour. An incredible array of aromas on the nose: blackberry, black cherry, tobacco, espresso, leather, black olive and loam. The palate is absolutely seamless from first impression to finish, effortlessly building layers of complexity in the mouth and leading to a very long, earth and spice finish. I can’t see how this could possibly be improvement so have no alternative but concede perfection. Drink now to 2045+. Tasted March 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Claret Club Mouton-Rothschild dinner. This is one of the finest bottles of Mouton-Rothschild of the decade. Stunning definition on the nose with a touch of mint and graphite, the palate imbued with an almost sorbet-like freshness and vitality. Wonderful symmetry and very classic and masculine towards the finish. Incredible persistency and yet still a long way to go. Tasted November 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Like the Mouton 1982, a wine prone to taste different depending upon which side of the Channel you drink it. Two quite astoundingly backward bottles tasted in Bordeaux between 2001 and 2003 with think masculine tannins, less flamboyant but perhaps more focused and classical than the 1982. Brilliant wine that I scored an original perfect mark of 25. But subsequently overwhelmed at the Mouton vertical in September 2005. A very deep, almost opaque colour. The nose is reticent at first, then a rush of mint and cedar. Very powerful and intense, almost volatile with a faint hint of boot-polish. The palate is multi-layered with blackberry, cassis and mint. Thick chewy tannins. A more unruly 1986 than the bottle in Bordeaux, with a dark chocolate note on the finish. Seems to have mellowed just a little, but this still needs another 10 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasted 9 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes In 1986, Mouton-Rothschild produced the most profound wine of a great northern Medoc vintage. The sensational opaque black/ruby color may be even denser than that of the 1982. It requires coaxing and extended airing to bring forth the subdued bouquet of minerals, celestial blackcurrants, smoky new oak, and spices. The wine possesses incredible concentration, full body, fabulous length, and is - well - perfect. At present, this exemplary effort is a huge, monolithic, totally unevolved wine. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Accompanying a spectacular lunch at Cordeillan Bages with Philippe Dhalluin who served it blind, I was duped into thinking this was the ’82. This is the best bottle of Mouton ’86 I have tasted, a spell-binding Pauillac. The nose is quite extraordinary with blooms of blackberry, cedar and cassis that fill the whole restaurant. The palate is full-bodied, finally loosening up just a little after two decades but still masculine and assertive. Brilliant definition though, so fresh and vibrant, with a purity that I have never appreciated before. It remains an uncompromising Mouton, but on this form it will be leaving wine-lovers speechless for decades rather than years. Drink 2012-2040+ Tasted September 2008.
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)1985(5)
Package Size
