Château Mouton Rothschild is one of the most celebrated estates in Pauillac and sits atop the Bordeaux hierarchy as a classified First Growth. The 1985 was a classic vintage renowned for producing wines of elegance and finesse versus power and structure. Now nearing peak maturity, decanting to remove any sediment is advised and it may require further aeration..
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: 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!
- Decanter: The customary glamour of Mouton is on display here, with softened but welcoming blackberry, bilberry and raspberry fruits, still offering texture and juice through the palate. This is matched by clove, cinnamon, caramel and smoke. Another era at Mouton, making this even more delightful to drink – Baron Philippe was still heading up the estate as he had since 1922, and would continue to until his death in 1988, making this his 63rd vintage, and the legendary Raoul Blondin was cellarmaster (he oversaw 60 vintages before his eventual retirement in 1989). 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Paul Delvaux label.
Producer Information
Château Mouton Rothschild is located in the commune of Pauillac, in the Medoc, 30 miles (50km) northwest of the city of Bordeaux. The grand vin is among the most highly rated and priced wines in the world, and is generally regarded as the most exuberant and powerful of all Bordeaux. It was famously added to the First Growths set out in the 1855 Classification in 1973.The château started life as Brane-Mouton, and was among the best in Bordeaux through the 18th and early 19th Centuries, although there was a dip in quality and price in the 1840s. The Rothschild family bought (and renamed) the property in 1853 and quickly restored its reputation, but not in time for the 1855 Classification of Médoc wines, in which Mouton was only ranked a second growth wine. Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion attained Premier Cru Classé status.
