CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1er Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 1995 Bottle

Description

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1995 is an imposing yet refined mature Pauillac. Deep garnet with a warm tawny rim, it shows dried black fruit, prune and fig with saddle leather, cigar box and polished cedar. Savoury notes of game, soy and olive tapenade meet forest floor, porcini and truffle, with fine graphite minerality. The palate is full bodied yet lithe, rounded tannins supporting dense dried fruit, tobacco leaf and gentle bitter chocolate, while lively acidity gives drive to a long saline mineral finish. Best approached now with a short decant. Drink 2026 to 2045. Critics: Decanter 97 ; "Rich, dense and fleshy." James Suckling 95 ; "Explodes on the nose." Vinous 95 ; "Bright, focused and very smooth."

ABOUT THIS WINE
CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1er Grand Cru Classe Pauillac 1995 is an imposing yet refined mature claret that marries Pauillac power with the silkiness of age. The colour shows a deep garnet core with a warm tawny rim, indicating substantial maturity while retaining vibrancy. On the nose the wine opens with an aristocratic blend of blackcurrant and blackberry conserve softened by notes of dried plum and fig, overlaid with complex tertiary aromas of saddle leather, cigar box and polished cedar. Savoury nuances of game, soy and olive tapenade sit alongside forest floor, porcini and truffle, while a fine graphite minerality and a hint of crushed rock provide definition and lift.

The palate is full bodied yet lithe, the once assertive tannins now rounded and integrated so that structure supports rather than dominates the fruit. Primary dried black fruit and marmalade are complemented by layers of tobacco leaf, cedar spice and a gentle bitter chocolate note that adds tension. Acidity remains lively enough to give drive and clarity, allowing the long finish to unfold with saline and mineral echoes and a persistent savoury note that lingers. Texture is velvety with a polished mouthfeel that speaks to careful cellaring and slow evolution.

The 1995 vintage in Bordeaux combined good ripeness with balanced acidity and relatively generous yields, producing wines with ripe tannins and approachable structure that age gracefully. This Mouton displays those qualities, offering both immediate pleasure and further development.

Best approached now to fully appreciate its complex tertiary bouquet, a short decant is recommended. Drink 2026 to 2045, peaking 2028 to 2038. Match with roast or braised beef, lamb with herb crust, aged hard cheeses or dishes featuring truffle and wild mushrooms to complement the wine's savoury depth and refined texture.

*****

DECANTER 97 points
Tasted by: Andy Howard MW (at Red Herring Wine Club, London, 24 Sep 2021) Part of Château Mouton Rothschild vertical: 1993 - 1999
Drinking Window: 2021 - 2030
Still remarkably dark, intense and youthful in appearance, this Mouton shows more flamboyant characters on the nose than other vintages, with spices, cigar-box and blackcurrant leaf all to the fore. Rich, dense and fleshy palate with plenty of stuffing for further ageing. An impressive Mouton which lives up to the ‘star’ billing for the 1995 vintage with nearly all of the components in great balance. The only question mark regards the firm, slightly drying tannins, which still need to fully integrate. I suspect they will, but the 1995 may not quite reach the height of the 1996. Harvested 12 September to 27 September. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc.

VINOUS 95 points
(72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 9% cabernet franc; pH 3.68; IPT 64; 12.4% alcohol; 88% new oak; 95% selection for the grand vin): Very dark, fully saturated ruby to the rim. Deep, brooding, rich aromas of blackberry, violet, milk chocolate, black pepper, cedar and incense; sexy and captivating. Bright and focused on entry, then rich, very smooth and suave, with highly concentrated flavors of red berries, dark plum, cedar and graphite. The extremely long, juicy finish features lively acids, great balance and persistent notes of underbrush and minerals. The mounting tannins coat the palate dry and are still years away from resolving fully. Harvested from September 12 through 27, which suggests that the merlot was probably very ripe. According to Tourbier, "We included a bit more merlot than usual because we felt the cabernet sauvignon had particularly tough tannins in 1995 and we didn't want to risk making too tough or structured a wine. So we used the merlot to soften it up a bit." The estate was so happy with the quality of the wine (and the rather high 95% selection for the grand vin speaks volumes), said Tourbier, that they only made 15 barriques of the second wine Petit Mouton, which was launched with the 1993 vintage. A huge volume year, 1995 was characterized by very fine weather through most of the growth cycle but was marred by September rains.
Ian D'Agata, August 2011