Mouton Rothschild 1987

Château Mouton Rothschild 1987 is a First Growth Bordeaux from the one of the most illustrious names in Pauillac. Established in 1853 by Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild pioneered the idea of estate bottling in the 1920s while other properties were still selling and exporting in barrel. Cabernet Sauvignon always predominates in the Mouton red, giving the wine its rich tannins, wealth of aroma, flavour and superb ageing capacity. Meanwhile Merlot brings suppleness, roundness and exceptional length. "This was the last vintage to be made by the Baron de Rothschild, and I have always had a sneaky suspicion that the 1987 may have been made a bit more memorable by the inclusion of some of the 1986 or 1988 bookends that may have been laying around, as the wine utterly transcends the vintage in terms of depth and power. Regardless of how the quality of the wine was ultimately arrived at, it is the finest 1987 Medoc that I have ever tasted, jumping from the glass in a blend of red berries, spices, coffee, eucalyptus, a touch of walnuts and the traditional Mouton nicely toasted new oak. On the palate the wine is medium-full, complex and à point, with excellent focus and fine length on the shapely finish. This is a lovely, commemorative bottling that still has plenty of life ahead of it." John Gilman, 2003