Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1998

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Dunkles Purpur-Rubin. Röstiges Bouquet, reife Pflaumen, Hauch Minze, Schokolade, schwarze Oliven, Pumpernickel, sehr vielschichtig, in der Nase bereits ein Traum. Im Gaumen toller, intensiver, warmer Cabernet-Geschmack, viel Charme zeigend, mollige, velourshafte Tannine, viel blaue und schwarze Beeren, Schimmer von Lakritze, tolle Länge, bei der all die herrlichen Grundaromen nochmals nachkommen."

JEB DUNNUCK: "From a vintage that was slightly more challenging for the Left Bank with its later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1998 Mouton Rothschild is nevertheless a terrific wine that has beautiful sweetness and depth in its crème de cassis, new saddle leather, leafy herbs, and exotic spice-laced around and flavors. With sweet tannins, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s drinking great today but should age at a glacial pace and keep for another 30 years. The 1998 is blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The wine starts off with an array of layers in the perfume. Full-bodied and concentrated, with layers of fruit. But the finish is a bit clipped. The wine is very good, but the brief finish is a bit disappointing. Time will add complexities, but the finish is probably not going to get any better."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, sehr gute Farbtiefe, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. In der Nase tiefe Brombeernoten, etwas Orangen, ganz zart ätherisch, etwas verschwiegen, Nuancen von Röstaromen, Kaffee. Am Gaumen stoffig, mineralisch, sehr feste Tannine, im Nachhall nach Erdbeeren, ein Wein mit Potenzial, der sich aber nicht zeigt. Immer noch sehr streng. Juni 2006: Zarte Röstanklänge, eher verhalten, dennoch einladendes dunkelbeeriges Bukett. Am Gaumen gute Frucht, kraftvoller Körper, zarte Kakaoanklänge, sehr mineralisch, feste Tannine, gutes Entwicklungspotenzial."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is spicy and peppery with dried fruits and currants. It's full andvelvety on the palate, showing pretty berries and toasted coffee beans. Long, long finish."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "The lightest and most developed-looking of the three Pauillacs. Ripe, warm and flattering but one of the most evolved wines of the series on the nose although oddly dry and slightly pinched on the palate. A little lightweight. A bit gawky. Green notes on the finish. Simple and green."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Blackberry and violets on the nose, with hints of roses. Sweet tobacco too. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and round tannins. A little tight and reserved now. Give it time.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 22,915 cases made."