"The 1986 Mouton-Rothschild is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that was picked from 2 October until 16 October. Winemaker Philippe Dhalluin, who was not working at the property back then, told me that the pH was fairly low at 3.54 when it is usually around 3.75, due to the natural tartaric acid in the vines. It has a powerful and intense bouquet as always: exemplary graphite and cedar scents, a touch of black pepper and incense. It seems to unfurl in the glass, like a motor revving its engine. The palate is beautifully balanced with its trademark firm tannic structure, a Mouton-Rothschild with backbone and masculinity. Layers of black fruit intermingling with mint and graphite, a hint of licorice emanating from the Merlot, gently fanning out and my God, it is incredibly long. It is not like the 1985 Mouton-Rothschild that is so fleshy and generous. This is serious, aristocratic Mouton, a true vin de garde and yes, I do think drinkers will have to wait until it reaches its true peak. Sometimes that's just the way it is."
100 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, Dec 2016
"This was the greatest bottle of the 1986 Mouton I have ever drunk. I have been lucky enough to drink it many times, but on occasions it has come across as very tight and reserved, even hard. Yet on this special night last Friday in Bangkok it was perfect – the perfect wine that it was purported to be for a very long time. How strange that the owner of Mouton, Philippine de Rothschild, died the same day. Please read my tribute to here. The bottle we drank showed amazing aromas of mushrooms, mint, minerals and dark berries. It boasted a fully body of ultra richness and extraordinary length and beauty. It had an almost chiseled precision to the quality with fabulous length. It lasts for minutes on the palate. My Thai friend decanted it four hours before serving." 100
James Suckling, Jun 2016
"A wine that's been closed every time I've been lucky enough to taste it previously, the 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild appears to have finally come around, and it’s pure Bordeaux gold today. Still deeply hued and vibrant, with no bricking, it has a powerful, full-bodied style carrying lots of pure black currants, scorched earth, graphite, tobacco leaf, and roasted coffee-like aromatics. Full-bodied and still incredibly concentrated on the palate, it has a massive mid-palate, polished yet still present tannins, and an incredible finish. A legendary bottle of wine, it lived up to every expectation on this occasion. It probably has another 50 years of life, but it's in a great spot today." 100
Jeb Dunnuck, May 2023 |
