x
  • Country ranking ?

    206
  • Producer ranking ?

    13
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Roast Turkey with potatoes & apple stuffing & apple sauce

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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A legend!

Parker 100 Points : If the 1985 continues to evolve easily and in a flattering manner, the 1982 continues to close down, preparing itself for an extraordinarily long life. The 1982 Mouton was one of the greatest, most impressively structured and richest young red wines I ever tasted from cask and during the first 4-5 years after bottling. Since then, the wine has continued to exhibit massive weight and richness, but the explosive bouquet has become more restrained and the tannin levels more noticeable. Tasted twice during the past summer, the wine was identical at both tastings. The color remains an opaque dark ruby/purple with no evidence of amber or orange at the edge. The nose offers subtle lead pencil, jammy black cassis, and toasty vanillin aromas, but even after several hours of breathing they no longer soar from the glass as the did five or six years ago. In the mouth, this enormously concentrated, massive wine is easily the richest Mouton-Rothschild produced since 1945. In that sense, it is an even denser wine the extraordinary 1986. The tannins are noticeable and the acid level is sound. The finish is spectacular, but the wine is extremely tight and structured, and would appear to need at least another decade of cellaring before it reaches its plateau of maturity. I suspect this Mouton will last 50+ years. 

 

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The Story

Château Mouton Rothschild A Premier Cru Classé in 1973, Château Mouton Rothschild, owned by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, consists of 205 acres of vines near Pauillac, in the Médoc, North West of the city of Bordeaux. This Premier Cru benefits from exceptionally good natural conditions, both in the quality of the soil, the position of its vines and their exposure to the sun. It is regarded today as one of the world's greatest wine. 


The name Mouton is said to be derived from the word „Motte“ meaning mound or elevation of the ground. It was bought in 1853 by Philippe de Rothschilds great-grand father it was in a fairly bad shape and when the classification of 1855 was set up it was not deemed to be good enough to be qualified as a first growth but put in first place amongst the second growths. An injustice it took Philippe de Rothschild until 1973 to rectify. 1920s Philippe de Rothschild called together the owners of Haut Brion, Latour, Lafite, Margaux and Yquem to talk about the idea of bottling and marketing their wines on their own.

The first vintage to be bottled exclusivly at the château was the 1924 vintage. To commemorate this, the cubistic painter Carlu was asked to design the label, yet another revolutionary idea in this most conservative of surroundings. The idea of an artist designing the labels was dropped until 1945 when Philippe Jullian was asked to design a label commemorating the victory over nazi Germany. Since then works of such famous artists as Picasso, Miró, Dali, Chagall and personalities like John Huston and Prince Charles have been used for the labels.


In 1988, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, who had already been associated with her father's work for some time, succeeded her father. She has in turn become the guarantor of the quality of an illustrious wine whose motto proudly proclaims : "Premier je suis, second je fus, Mouton ne change". First I am, second I was, I Mouton do not change

Vineyard soil: very deep gravel on a limestone base Production area: 82.5 ha Grape varieties: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot Average age of vines: 48 years Harvest method: hand picked. The grapes from the younger vines are harvested first and vinified separately.

Winemaking: Before destemming, the grapes are hand-sorted then selected one by one. Vinification depends on each vintage and the characteristics of each vat. All the relevant parameters, such as temperature, pumping over, aeration, vatting time and running off, are monitored by the technical manager, the cellar-master and the laboratory.
Ageing: 19 to 22 months in oak barrels (almost all new, the percentage varying according to the vintage)
 

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Wine Information

Climatic conditions at the Château / The winter of 1982 was unusually mild: temperatures in January, February and March were somewhat higher than average and there was less rainfall than usual. The vegetation cycle began rapidly, with budbreak for the three red grape varieties starting very evenly on 30 March. The warm weather continued in April and May, with some welcome rain in June.

Flowering took place between 30 May and 3 June depending on the variety, almost 12 days earlier than the average. Dry weather continued in July, heatwave conditions bringing a violent storm on 30 July. Fortunately August, while remaining fine, was not excessively hot; showers in the first week were extremely beneficial for the vines.The precocity observed during flowering was attenuated in early summer as maturation was slowed by high temperatures. Veraison began in the first days of August. The grapes were in absolutely outstanding condition, maturing in ideal conditions in September and raising hopes of a very fine vintage.

Harvest: 15 to 24 September
Varietal mix:
Cabernet Sauvignon 85%
Cabernet Franc 8%
Merlot 7%
Chateau Tasting notes:
The colour is dense and deep with a slightly amber tint, while the nose reveals aromas of gingerbread, mint, very ripe fruit, blackcurrant and bilberry, with notes of cinnamon, toast and mocha. From a firm and silky attack with an elegant tannic structure of velvety, patrician tannins, the wine develops a full, round body with suggestions of liquorice and caramel. Fresh, stylish, seductive and charming, with notes of chocolate, this is a powerful wine with attractive length


PN

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Vintage 1982

The 1982 vintage in Bordeaux changed the wine world as well as changed my life. It was the first vintage I tasted from barrel as a young wine writer working for the American magazine The Wine Spectator, and I was amazed how gorgeous the quality of a young red could be from barrel.

I remember the first barrel samples I tasted during the summer of 1983 at Chateau Prieure-Lichine with the late wine author and vintner Alexis Lichine. The wines were so fruity with soft and rich tannins. They seemed too drinkable for a young wine, yet Lichine who had over forty years of experience tasting young wines told me the wines were “exceptional” and “some of the greatest young wines ever produced.”

He had invited some of his winemaking pals from the Medoc to a lunch at his chateau following the tasting. And he kept telling them, which included such names as Bruno Prats (then Cos d’Estournel), Anthony Barton (Leoville-Barton) and Jean-Eugene Borie (Ducru-Beaucaillou) that young writers like myself were the future of the region and that they had to make me understand that 1982 was a great year. He was upset that the New York Times and some other magazines had come out saying that the new vintage was not outstanding do to it seemingly early drinkability.

It was also a time an American lawyer in his mid-30s began writing full time on wine, creating a newsletter called The Wine Advocate. Many say Robert Parker built his career on advocating the greatness of Bordeaux’s 1982 vintage, although he obviously did much more.

More importantly, 1982 vintage marked a big change in the way Bordeaux was produced. It underlined fruit and ripe tannins in reds as well as a slightly higher level of alcohol and lower, or less strong acidity – higher pH. This is what gave the wines such wonderful texture, or drinkability in their youth.

 

It was a big change from most vintages before 1982 that produced hard and tannic wines that needed years, even decades to soften. The 1982 vintage became a model vintage for red Bordeaux in the future, and arguably for the wine world at large. Think of all the fruit-forward reds that are produced today in the world – for better or for worse. Alcohols are at least two, sometimes three or four degrees higher. Tannins are stronger yet riper. And natural acidities are lower. Chapitalization – adding sugar to the fermenting grape must to increase alcohol – seems a thing of the past.

“Young wines are so drinkable now,” said Alexander Thienpont, the winemaker of Pomerol’s Vieux-Chateau-Certan and Le Pin. The latter made its reputation on early drinkability. “It’s what people expect in a modern wine today.”

I believe some of the change with the 1982 was due to the “California” like growing conditions the Bordelias spoke of at the time. The summer was extremely hot and sunny. The harvest was warm and mostly clear of precipitation. Grape yields were high with many of the best wine properties making more wine per hectare than set by French authorities. In fact, the late Jean Pierre Moueix of Chateau Petrus always told me that the 1982 vintage would have been at the same level as the 1945 or 1949 vintage if yields had been lower.

Yet, the experience of the growing season and harvest in 1982 made a whole new generation of winemakers in the region understand the importance of picking grapes later and riper. They understood early on when wine critics such as Parker and myself as well as members of the US wine trade enthused so much about the 1982 reds from barrel. This also was the beginning of the popularization of barrel scores used to purchase wines.

 

The US market was the biggest market to buy top notch Bordeaux with the 1982 vintage. It began a decade of intense buying of Bordeaux in the states with consumers buying first growth and second growth as well as Pomerols and St. Emilion. Americans regaled in the wine’s juiciness and beauty. They also made a shit load of money if they held on to the wines in sold them later. For example, most of the first growths sold for about $40 a bottle in 1983 as futures and some are now as much as $3,500 a bottle. Prices for 1982 are down slightly now,  but the price appreciation over 30 years is impressive after 30 years.

So is the quality of the wines still for the most part. I am lucky enough to drink top 1982 on a regular basis, and the best ones never cease to amaze me with their generous and complex fruit and polished, ripe tannins. Bottle variation can be a problem because many of the top names have been bought and sold and stored all over the world, but on a whole it is a treat to drink a great 1982.  And the vintage always reminds me of my beginnings in the wine world

 

James Suckling has been writing about and tasting wine for over 30 years. He worked for 28 years as a senior editor of the American wine magazine The WIne Spectator,  and in July 2010 he left to start his own website www. jamessuckling.com and wine events company. He also is wine editor of the Asia Tatler group with luxury magazines through the region including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, and Malaysia. His specialty is Italy and Bordeaux, but he enjoys tasting and discovering wines from all over the world. His most recent great wine adventure was tasting 57 vintages of Chateau Petrus in the Hamptons, but he also just enjoyed sharing great Barolos from Bruno Giacosa, Roberto Vorezio, and Giacomo Conterno with wine lovers in Seoul.

by James Sucking

 

 

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Average Bottle Price

2020 2019 2015 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005
1 340€ -6.9% 1 439€ +32.5% 1 086€ -0.5% 1 092€ +4.7% 1 043€ -8.7% 1 142€ +15.7% 987€ -23.4% 1 289€ +9.4% 1 178€ +114.6% 549€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Full, Ruby red and Clear

ending

Long, Extensive and Lingering

flavors

Blackcurrant, Cigar-box, Toasty, Tobacco, Floral and Mint

nose

Complex, Refined, Ripe and Youthful

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Medium tannin, Perfectly balanced, Complex, Concentrated, Developing, Medium-bodied, Aggressive, Vigor, Harmonious, Fresh, Dry and Silky tannins

Verdict

Outstanding and Masterpiece

Written Notes

The 1982 Mouton Rothschild is one of my other all-time faves from the vintage, but in a different way.  This wine has always been the wine I would want in 2050, God willing.  It is still such a tight wine.  There was great cigar box to its nose, but this was clearly a wine about structure.  There was some nut and carob here, and the Carolina Panther found ‘earth and mushrooms.’  The wine thickened in the glass, almost daring you to drink it over the next 24 hours (97+).

  • 97p
The vintage 1982 is one of the most legendary for wine connoisseurs. It was not only the wine year of the decade, but also one of the century's best ones together with the vintages 1961, 1945, 1928 and 1900. The sunny and warm weather produced full, fruity and powerful wines throughout Bordeaux. Mouton-Rothschild 1982 / Gorgeous-looking bottle, and level by the neck. A deep, dark and rich colour. Beautifully developed complex bouquet with a hint of spices, smoked meat and jammy blackcurrants. This is a full-bodied, spicy and fruity wine with unaggressive tannins. The vividly acid, full taste is complemented by an intensive, silky mouth feel. This intense and well-balanced wine finished with more than a 90-second demonstration of sweet fruit and silky tannins. A great wine, which will last for many decades. Classic stuff!
  • 99p

 Flamboyant, opulent and showy, this unique expression of Pauillac has hit its stride. It's powerful, yet refined, and with its it's non-stop display of perfectly, ripe currants, blackberries, cherry liqueur and array of Asian spices, this is a wine to marvel at its complexity, uniqueness of character, length and richness. Drink from 2023-2050.

  • 99p

Glorious aromas. Dark ruby red. Wonderful perfumes of flowers, berry and lilac. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long and pretty finish. Balanced. Class in a glass. Just as I remember.

  • 98p

What an amazing red. It's so very youthful with toasted oak, light vanilla, and dark berries such as currants and blueberries. Then it turns to mint. This is so fresh and intensely fruity. It lasts for minutes on your palate with each sip. It is so powerful yet elegant. It will improve for hundreds of years. I would still leave it in my cellar for five or ten years. If you need to drink it, decant it three to four hours in advance.

  • 100p

bsolut perfekt war der immer noch so junge, kräftige 1982 Mouton Rothschild, diese moderne Wiedergeburt des legendären 1945 Mouton Rothschild. Ich Glücklicher durfte diese beiden Weine, die sich in der Aromatik sehr ähnelten und nur durchs Alter unterschieden, schon mehrfach vergleichen. Heute würde ich, bevor ich auf die Suche nach dem inzwischen ultrararen, sehr teuren 1945er ginge, stattdessen lieber 10 Flaschen des atemberaubenden WT100 1982ers kaufen. 

  • 100p

The 1982 Mouton is gorgeous, with singed alder and juniper notes starting to strut their stuff, while the immense core of steeped red currant, blackberry and plum fruit continues to wait in reserve. A light sanguine thread weaves in on the back end, which is driven by a serious bolt of iron. Shows terrific grip, length and cut.

  • 98p

Tasted from Riedel Sommelier Grand Cru Bordeaux, same bottle as the above. Ruby with thin brick rim. Where everything is put into its own drawer in the Vinum glass, in this one it’s more like a tapestry/ Gobelin where everything fits together seamlessly.  Delicate, layered, nuanced, refined, seductive, exotic, spices, dark fruits, tobacco, leather, cigars, figs, dates, cassis, blueberries, it's boring almost to name it all. On the palate, more precision, refined, elegant, tannins feel softer and smoother, again seamless and detailed, stunning, and thoroughly long. 100

  • 100p

A classic served from bottles at the Versailles dinner.
More structured and less opulent than the 1990 in magnum that preceded it, it was hugely impressive and gave the impression of still having a glorious life ahead of it. Beautiful balance and the purest of classics yet with the intensity of Mouton.
Drink–2038
 

  • 96p

Consistent notes. Fantastic nose of perfectly ripe fruit with grace and depth. Heaven on the palate with perfect integration of fruit and tannin, strong structure, richness, exceptional purity, depth and length. Wow. I guess this wine will easily keep until 2040!

  • 100p

Time to get serious! A Parker 100 pointer and maybe the most heralded wine of the vintage. Good color and concentration in the glass, a fairly faint nose of leather, dried flowers and spices. Flavors of cassis and berry jump out, with some earthy elements in the background, there is noticeable acidity which keeps the wine lively at first, but seems to contribute to a thinning on the finish. I guess I expected more… richness, flavor, ripeness- something. It may be that my expectations were too hyped; if I tasted it blind, I might have been a less demanding critic. But as it was, I give it a 90.

  • 90p
Mouton-Rothschild was not far behind the La Mission Haut-Brion, in a more dense, concentrated style. Muscular and masculin, perfect tannin, thick layers of black fruit. Monumental.
  • 97p
1982 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Bordeaux, France D1,5h, G2h (Gothenburg, Sweden, Okt 2012) Wide open nose with exceptionally charming and complex nose filled with dark fruit, black currant, plums, coffee, chcocolate and tobacco. Grew even bigger with air in the glass. Perfect Bordeaux nose! Fullbodied with rich, sweet, dark fruit and spicy components of coffee and chocolate. The big but super silky tannins gives this wine a perfect hedonistic balance and it’s delicous, powerfull but elegant and refined at the same time. It’s big but with perfect balance and very very long finish. Still young. Drink now-2032+ 98+p.
  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Pauillac, Bordeaux

Vintage Quality

Extraordinary

Value For Money

Best buy

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

None

Glass time

2h

Drinking temperature

17

Inside Information

The vintage 1982 is one of the most legendary for wine connoisseurs. It was not only the wine year of the decade, but also one of the century's best ones together with the vintages 1961, 1945, 1928 and 1900. The sunny and warm weather produced full, fruity and powerful wines throughout Bordeaux.

Gorgeous-looking bottle, and level by the neck. A deep, dark and rich colour. Beautifully developed complex bouquet with a hint of spices, smoked meat and jammy blackcurrants. This is a full-bodied, spicy and fruity wine with unaggressive tannins. The vividly acid, full taste is complemented by an intensive, silky mouth feel. This intense and well-balanced wine finished with more than a 90-second demonstration of sweet fruit and silky tannins. A great wine, which will last for many decades. Classic stuff!

by Tb

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