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Mouton Rothschild 1982

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

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Tasting Notes

The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild has now arrived in late adolescence as well, reaching that plateau where it is close to full maturity, but will possibly last another 25-30+ years. This wine has always been one of the most decadent, luxuriously rich and great wines that along with the Latour is the top first-growth in the Médoc. The wine still has a dense purple color, a beautiful sweet nose of crème de cassis, spring flowers, forest floor and a touch of cedar wood. It is a beauty, full-bodied and probably closest in style and quality to their famous 1959, which has always eclipsed the more renowned 1961 in tastings.

100
Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, August 2016

Over the last couple of years, I had inclined to the view that the 1986 vintage was eclipsing the 1982 Mouton Rothschild, but two perfectly conserved bottles this year put paid to that hypothesis. One of the emblematic wines of the vintage, offering up aromas of sweet crème de cassis, cigar wrapper, espresso roast, spices and vine smoke, it's full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a rich core of fruit; ripe, supple tannins; and a long, expansive finish. Lavish, even flamboyant, and at the same time seriously structured and quintessentially Mouton, it encapsulates the greatness of the vintage. For readers interested in numbers, the 1982 attained 12.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.64 (that information is the result of a great personal misfortune, because I sent a sample from a tragically corked magnum to the local enology lab for analysis out of curiosity).

100
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (264), December 2022

This is one of the best bottles of 1982 Mouton-Rothschild that I have drunk. Intense and lavish on the nose, this bursts with blackberries, raspberry confit, wild mint and graphite aromas, yet there is a sense of calm and refinement, perhaps less VA than some examples. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with some of the finest tannins that I have noticed on this Mouton Rothschild. Slightly tertiary on the finish, it builds and builds and leaves you utterly smitten. My God, dare I say it almost reminds me of L* ***r? Tasted at La Trompette in London.

99
Neal Martin, vinous.com, January 2023

Deep ruby with some evolution at the rim. Very intense, heady nose. Wonderfully layered, complex, dense with some very fine tannin still on the finish. This is showing signs of being capable of going on for a very long time yet. Fantastic persistence. Just goes on and on. Real first growth quality and subtlety. Some spice but all with a great, sophistictaed polish. This is the vintage, for Baron Philippe's 60th vintage, with the John Huston label. Drink 1998-2028.Date tasted 17th May 09.

19
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2009
Read more tasting notes...

The 1982 Mouton Rothschild is drinking brilliantly today, soaring from the glass with aromas of cassis, dark berry fruit, charcoal, pencil shavings, espresso roast and loamy soil. Full-bodied, ample and enveloping, it's a layered, sumptuous wine that's remarkably seamless and complete, with impressive concentration, ripe but lively acids and fine, melting tannins. Long and resonant, this is a great wine that can keep company with the likes of Mouton's 1961, 1959 and 1955.

100
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (259), February 2022
100
Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, September 2014

This wine remains one of the legends of Bordeaux. It has thrown off the backward, youthful style that existed during its first 25 years of life, and over the last 4-5 years has developed such secondary nuances as cedar and spice box. The creme de cassis, underlying floral note, full-bodied power, extraordinary purity, multilayered texture, and finish of over a minute are a showcase for what this Chateau accomplished in 1982. The wine is still amazingly youthful, vibrant, and pure. It appears capable of remaining fruity and vibrant in 2082! Thank God it is beginning to budge, as I would like to drink most of my supply before I kick the bucket. This is a great, still youthful wine, and, on occasion, one does understand the hierarchy of Bordeaux chateaux when you see the complexity and brilliance of this first-growth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (183), June 2009
100
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

Opaque purple-colored showing absolutely no signs of lightening, Mouton's 1982 is a backward wine. Still tasting like a 4-5 year old Bordeaux, it will evolve for another half century.

At the Philadelphia tasting, it was impossibly impenetrable and closed, although phenomenally dense and muscular. However, on two other recent occasions, I decanted the wine in the morning and consumed it that evening and again the following evening. It is immune to oxidation! Moreover, it has a level of concentration that represents the essence of the Mouton terroir as well as the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon it contains.

Cassis, cedar, spice box, minerals, and vanillin are all present, but this opaque black/purple Pauillac has yet to reveal secondary nuances given its youthfulness. It exhibits huge tannin, unreal levels of glycerin and concentration, and spectacular sweetness and opulence. Nevertheless, it demands another decade of cellaring, and should age effortlessly for another seven or eight decades.

I have always felt the 1982 Mouton was perfect, yet this immortal effort might be capable of lasting for 100 years! Readers who want to drink it are advised to decant it for at least 12-24 hours prior to consumption. I suggest double decanting, i.e., pouring it into a clean decanter, washing out the bottle, and then repouring it back into the bottle, inserting the cork, leaving the air space to serve as breathing space until the wine is consumed 12-24 hours later. The improvement is striking. The fact that it resists oxidation is a testament to just how youthful it remains, and how long it will last. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2075.

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (129), June 2000
100
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998

The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild is one that I have not met for quite a while, but it was a pleasure to be reacquainted. Whilst it can sometimes be a little too exuberant, I found this bottle beautifully refined with melted red fruit, red plum and wild strawberry, tobacco and freshly picked mint. Hints of black truffle emerge with time. The palate has mellowed in recent years, arguably borrowed some of Lafite’s refinement. Pliant in texture, there is more transparency to this Mouton and whilst it perhaps does not quite have the nobility of the 1982 Latour, it is just a sublime First Growth that gives immense satisfaction. Tasted at the Amos Bursary charity dinner at 67 Pall Mall.

98
Neal Martin, vinous.com, March 2022

The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild continues to be the extravagant Pauillac that it has always been. This has an irresistible, exotic bouquet of precocious kirsch, hoisin, graphite and blueberry scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is a little headier than previous bottles, sensual and almost glossy, presenting a glycerin-rich smorgasbord of dark cherries, black currant, crème de menthe and mint that almost knocks you off your feet. Fabulous. Tasted from an ex-château jeroboam at the Palace of Versailles charity dinner. Drink 2019-2040.

98
Neal Martin, vinous.com, December 2019

The 1982 Mouton Rothschild put in a very creditable performance since over the years I have found this more variable than other First Growths, albeit one that can flirt with perfection when inclined. This is an extremely good and I feel, representative bottle. It is less flamboyant, more controlled, less ostentatious than some examples, revealing very perfumed blackberry, Hoi Sin, graphite and cassis notes, over the course of 30-40 minutes intriguingly developing Graves-like tendencies. I always love the way in which the ’82 Mouton just blossoms from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and whilst more voluptuous than nearly all 1982s, it has perfect acidity to keep everything in check and those who appreciate a little viscosity will find themselves under its spell. Hints of crème de menthe develop on the luxuriant finish. The ’82 Mouton is a little garish, a nobleman-cum-bon viveur inappropriately attired in a loud Hawaiian shirt who compensates what they lack in subtlety with unalloyed chutzpah. Tasted at the International Business & Wine First Growth Dinner at the Four Seasons. 2018 - 2050

96
Neal Martin, vinous.com, June 2018
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.