Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1985

JAMES SUCKLING: "What an awe-inspiring nose of currants, shaved lead pencil, white truffles and earth. It´s full-bodied and enveloped by silky tannins that lead to an earthy, long finish. Old, traditional Bordeaux with soul and remarkable complexity. Sensational. Drink now."

WEINWISSER: "Aufhellend, wenig Reifetöne. Frisches Bouquet, viel rotes Cassis, Holundernoten, Katzenminze, voll geöffnet. Mittelgewichtiger Gaumen, feine Muskeln, gut stützende Säure, saftig und wunderschön lang, setzt auf Finesse, nicht besonders konzentriert, aber aromareich."

DECANTER: "Perfect for drinking now, this is utterly gorgeous, with elongated, soft and perfectly integrated tannins. There's a mouthwatering quality to the entire structure, and a gentle persistency. It resonates through the palate, softly levitating. There's a comet on the bottle of this Lafite by the way, even though the Haley's comet that it celebrates actually arrived in 1986. I guess they were impatient to celebrate it at the moment of bottling the 1985."

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Rubingranat, breiterer Wasserrand. In der Nase dunkles Beerenkonfit, zart nach Cassis und Schokolade, feine Velourslederanklänge, Brombeeren, exotische Gewürze, Zimt, Mokka, feine Röstaromen, attraktives, typisches Bukett. Elegant, wirkt fast eine Spur weitmaschig, markante Tannine, die gut eingebunden sind, süße dunkle Beerennote im Finish, dunkle Schokolade, finessenreich strukturiert, etwas fordernde Nuancen im Abgang, feine Würze und gute Länge, ein facettenreicher Speisenbegleiter. Trinken/lagern +15"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "fully mature, the wine is medium/full bodied, with a fresh, sweet, cassis, cherry, tobacco, spice and green leafy profile. Soft, polished and deceptively easy to drink, there is no reason not to be drinking your bottles, as this is not going to get better from here."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."