Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2005

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Technical Director/Chief Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin said this was a special year for him, because he considers it his first great vintage—he started in 2004. Deep garnet with hint of brick, the 2005 Mouton Rothschild is evolving into unabashed, flamboyant notes of Christmas cake, plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, eucalyptus and crème de cassis with beautifully fragrant wafts of potpourri, incense, Indian spices and cigar box. Full-bodied, the palate performs vinous pirouettes with dazzling exotic spice, floral and earthy nuances, framed by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This accelerates on the palate with incredibly ripe tannins and finesse. Full body, roasted fruit, leather and grilled meat. Dried flowers, too. It shows superb tannin backbone and polish. Tight and youthful. Just starting to open. Currant and berry undertones with lead pencil are impressive. Better in 2018 but so delicious now."

DECANTER: "Mouton was voluptuous and immediately appealing, with spicy ripe cassis and plum fruit that poured from the glass, surrounded by liquorice, coconut, and toasted cedar. The texture was not abrasive but very full-bodied and round. The tannins initially appeared fine-grained and silky, but with a bit of time, one realised the immense structure of this wine. Impressively concentrated and very long on the finish, this is still youthful and should age for decades to come. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% Merlot, with a touch of Cabernet Franc. The picking for the grand vin started on 21 September for the Merlot and finished with the Cabernets on 3 October. Drinking Window 2021 - 2040"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is so young. Yet, if you look inside with just a bit of effort, the wine is fabulous with unlimited potential. Concentrated, full, rich and with serious depth of flavor, the wine balances its naturally opulent nature with the structure to age, a wall of ripe tannin and endless waves of juicy, ripe, fresh, pure cassis. Patience is warranted. So give it 15 years and enjoy it over the next 50!"

WINE SPECTATOR: "Gorgeous, with singed alder and juniper notes starting to strut their stuff, while the immense core of steeped red currant, blackberry and plum fruit continues to wait in reserve. A light sanguine thread weaves in on the back end, which is driven by a serious bolt of iron. Shows terrific grip, length and cut. A brick-house Pauillac built for the long haul.—Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2050."

WEINWISSER: "Extrem dunkles Violett mit schwarzen Reflexen. Intensives Bouquet, Mokkanoten, reife Pflaumen, Cassis, dunkle Edelhölzer, frisch fermentierte Teeblätter, schwarze Schokolade, darin eine parfümierte, feinkräutrige, minzige Frische zeigend. Im Gaumen reich, rund und füllig, trotz des imposanten Extraktes eine feine, aber satte, dichte Tanninhülle zeigend, viel schwarze Beeren, Brombeeren, Cassis, Heidelbeeren, Lakritze und Palisandernoten im langen, erhabenen Finale. Ein Mouton, der jetzt schon harmonisch wirkt, der das Qualitätsmanagement auf dem Weingut eindrücklich ausdrückt, der zu den ganz grossen Mouton-Jahrgängen zu zählen ist. Was aber fehlt trotz aller Komplimente zur Maximalwertung? Nicht viel. Erst mit der Flaschenreife wird sich zeigen, ob er das Zeug zu einem Jahrhundertwein hat. Wenn es bei 19 Punkten bleibt, ist der 2005er immer noch ein unvergessliches Erlebnis."

FALSTAFF: "Leuchtendes Rubingranat, gute Farbtiefe, violette Reflexe. In der Nase feine Brombeernote, klassisches Cassiskonfit, ganz pur, zarte Gewürzanklänge. Am Gaumen süßer Kern, herrliches Tanninspiel, voll dunkler Beerenfrucht, ein nahtloser Wein, saftig und elegant, tolle Struktur, exzellente Länge, großes Entwicklungspotenzial. Ungemein finessenreich. Ich fand diesen Wein außerordentlich überzeugend."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "If 2005 was a rich year, Mouton reaches the heights of richness. Almost too rich, too New World, but you have to be impressed by the aromatic intensity of the black fruits, the dense, firm tannins, and the superripe black juice and licorice flavors. The wood is still too overpowering and needs time to settle in."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "When tasted in November 2009, Mouton exhibited beguiling aromas of menthol and Asian spices, with a massively concentrated, youthful palate (at that time, I scored it 18/20). The general view was that the bottle shown at Oeno wasn’t in perfect condition, seeming rather open-knit, developed in colour and with the oak standing out. Some fleshy dark-berry fruit and spice notes, a little overwhelmed by dominating acidity making this less pleasurable than expected. Seems to have matured more rapidly than the other first growths."