Although the Rothschild family has controlled their celebrated chateau since 1853, the modern story of Chateau Mouton Rothschild begins in 1924. It was then that the young Baron Philippe Rothschild insisted on bottling all his wine at his Bordeaux estate, an unusual move at the time but now an all but universal practice.
The reforms instituted by the Baron led to international accolades and a massive following. Despite the widespread renown, Chateau Mouton Rothschild wasn’t granted First Growth status until 1973, the first change in classification since the scheme’s inception in 1855. Since 1945, each vintage’s label has featured work by a famous contemporary artist. Past art labels have included Picasso, Dalí, and Miró, making Mouton Rothschild bottles works of art in themselves.
Past labels have included Picasso, Dalí, and Miró, making Mouton Rothschild bottles works of art in themselves.
Chateau Mouton isn’t just an elegant wine and beautiful bottle; it can form the focal point of any serious wine collection. It can mean the difference between having a good wine collection and having a great one. Right now, Prime Cellar is offering two mature, large format (en magnum) Mouton Rothschild bottlings at the lowest prices in the US. Magnums are ideal for the serious wine collector as they offer significant advantages for storage and aging:
- Magnums age better. The relative amount of wine exposed to oxygen is smaller, making the magnum age much more slowly and gently.
- Magnum bottles protect better. The thicker glass of magnum bottles protects the wine from heat and light.
- Magnums are impressive. That magnificent bottle is the centerpiece of any table – or any cellar – it graces.
1998 CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD (1.5L)
97 points, Lisa Perotti-Brown
96 points, Robert Parker
91 points, James Suckling
“It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavor profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity.”
Robert Parker
“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. (LPB, 5/2018)”
2001 CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD (1.5L)
94 points, James Suckling
91 points, Stephen Tanzer
89 points, Robert Parker
“Good full ruby. High-pitched aromas of blackberry, mint and minerals.”
Stephen Tanzer
“This is complex on the nose with black cherry, black currant and graphite aromas. It’s very fleshy on the palate with chewy tannins and lots of fruit. This is still a reserved and structured Bordeaux, but with power lurking beneath. Still a baby. (JS, 11/2015)”
