Château Mouton Rothschild 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac, 1986, 75cl

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. Tasted September 2016. Drink Date: 2021 - 2050 - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

This is finally coming around with such fine tannins and beautiful fruit after all these years. Full and balanced. Historical. And so long. Stunning. Fresh and bright.

Rightly seen as one of the all-time great vintages at Chateau Mouton Rothschild, after a vintage that favoured Cabernet Sauvignon and a harvest that stretched from October 2 to 16, so late and leisurely. One of those years that winemakers dream about – with quality and quantity. Crops came in at around 15% higher than in 1985, which itself was a pretty abundant year, and 1986 turned out to be the biggest crop since World War Two. Powerful, concentrated, still very much in its drinking window almost 40 years old, tannins now melted and resolved but going nowhere, and this brambled, cassis and blackberry fruit is just so inviting, sliced through with liqourice, espresso and crushed mint leaf. This is a wine that still, even now, benefits from an extremely long carafe – on a recent tasting a few years ago, when it wasn’t quite showing up to expectations, it took a full 24 hours to suddenly burst out of the glass and show its brilliance. So my strong advice is that if you are not blown away immediately, put it to one side and come back, because this is magic in a bottle.