Wine Advisor
Mouton Rothschild 1998
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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 a massive, concentrated wine. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, it represents only 57% of Mouton's total production. It's a behemoth, with an opaque purple color, as well as a huge, concentrated, massively powerful style with mouth-searing levels of tannin. Somewhat of a freak, if the tannin becomes integrated and the fruit holds, this could be one of 1998's superstars. Given its backwardness, purchasers should not touch a bottle for 12-15 years. It will undoubtedly age for 4-5 decades. I do not know how Mouton achieved this given the dilution so apparent in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2040.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep garnet core with just a hint of maturity on the rim. The nose is rather disappointing, comparatively one-dimensional to the other First Growths, more upfront blackberries and a touch of cranberry but less complexity, fewer nuances than the others although a touch of black pepper evolves with time in glass. The palate has a nice firm grip, good weight, lots of dry extract and perhaps more cohesion than Latour. Good acidity, persistency finish but there is a slight greenness on the fruit, the finish foursquare, perhaps a little dour and lacking flesh. There are superior Moutons to this. Drink over the next decade. Tasted March 2008
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Claret Club Mouton-Rothschild dinner. The 1998 Mouton has a very deep garnet hue. The nose has good intensity and fine definition with blackberry, cassis, graphite and a touch of sous-bois. The palate is tight at first...”a dense ball of Pauillac stubbornness” are the exact words that I wrote. But it unwinds nicely: graphite and cedar interlacing the black fruit, almost brutal towards the finish that needs more persistency. This will been another 4-5 years in bottle. Tasted November 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc (57% of the production was utilized), this powerful, tannic, masculine-styled Mouton is, as the French say, a vin de garde (a wine to keep). Along with the vintage's harsh, high tannin, it exhibits good density and enough concentration, extract, and richness to balance its structure and tannic ferocity. However, patience will be warranted. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-black. The nose is a little mute even given this wine’s youth, providing a moderate intensity of evolving aromas: game, earth, blackcurrant jam and a whiff of dried herbs. The medium+ bodied palate is gently styled with a medium+ level of finely grained tannins and medium+ acidity. Mid-palate is a bit hollow and the finish perhaps not as long as I’d expect. Good wine but not exactly living up to its first growth status. Drink now to 2025. Tasted February 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Intense dark purple core. Nose still a little dumb. Blackcurrant and liquorish. Immense mouth-coating tannins. Vanilla & blackcurrant. Moderate length, this is good but not great. Tasted again at the Paragon tasting in March 2003, the first bottle was corked, the second very tannic, austere and mean. Very disappointing. Tasted March 2003.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Like many of its peers, the 1998 has filled out spectacularly. Now in the bottle, this opaque black/purple-colored offering has increased in stature, richness, and size. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc (57% of the production was utilized), it is an extremely powerful, super-concentrated wine offering notes of roasted espresso, creme de cassis, smoke, new saddle leather, graphite, and licorice. It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavor profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity. This is a 50-year Mouton, but patience will be required as it will not be close to drinkability for at least a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is deep garnet-brick in color with lovely crème 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.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(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.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1998 Mouton Rothschild is another wine that I had not tasted for several years. It is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Compared directly with the 1988, there is clearly some improvement for the bouquet is fresher with greater complexity - blackberry, cedar, a spring of fresh mint and a little juniper berry for good measure. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. Like many Pauillac 1998s, this feels quite structured and masculine, but at least there is adequate fruit tucked in just behind. It segues into a rather ferrous last third, fresh and precise with a sustained finish. Although it lags behind more recent vintages under Dhalluin, it appears to be at its peak after 20 years and should remain there for another decade. Tasted at the château.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright ruby-red. Perfumed, sexy aromas of cassis, roasted plum, violet, pepper and exotic spices. Quite dry but densely packed, with pungent cassis, leather and mineral flavors complimented by sexy oak tones and a hint of dried herbs. Grew fuller and sweeter as it opened in the glass. Finishes with major toothcoating tannins that avoid dryness. Built for long aging. This tastes richer today than it did from barrel.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good medium ruby. High-toned aromas of cassis, plum, black cherry, bitter chocolate, eucalyptus, and roasted, cedary oak. Tightly wound and quite oak-spicy, with distinct suggestions of torrefaction. Finishes with substantial but ripe toothcoating tannins and very good length. A bit lower in alcohol and lower in acidity than the '99.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Very dark ruby. Floral aroma of dark berries and licorice. Tightly wrapped and dominated by its structure. Penetrating acids and firm tannins give the wine a rather tough finish today.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Black ruby-purple. Austere aromas of cassis and licorice. Primary and unevolved, but finer than the above. Here the substantial tannins are more thoroughly buffered by fruit, giving the wine a sweeter, more pliant finish. Perhaps in the line of the '88.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep ruby-purple. Pungent aromas of cassis, blueberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, cedar, lead pencil and mint. Lush on entry, then very firm and sinewy, with classic cabernet structure. Not particularly full for Mouton. Lower in acidity than the '97. Long, rather powerful finish features firm but not aggressive tannins. This is barely 12.3% alcohol, vs. 12.5% for the '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.
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