Château Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classé, Pauillac,

This is pure pleasure, with tiny pulses of electricity, brushed leather, sulphur, loam, truffle, blackberry, black cherry, with touches of silky tannins, smoked caramel and black chocolate. A wine that makes you smile, so much depth and power, barely out of its primary phase, but we are starting now to get the whole picture of what it will become. There is a lush edge to the tannins now that was not the case even two years ago. Such a different expression from the 2009 and 2010 Mouton, with this a little more old school in its charms, and for me you can now project yourself foraward, more like the 1986, a little dry and strict at first, but finessed and gorgeous, delivering grip, punch and magic. Eric Tourbier and Philippe Dhalluin on the technical team. 63% first wine, extremely low for the time (lowest since 1975, whereas today they are regularly below 50%). If you are going to open this anytime soon, think of it as a bottle to enjoy very slowly over four or five hours seeing the nuances develop. 100% new oak.

The 2005 Mouton Rothschild is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it soars from the glass with an opulent, flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, black cherry preserves, and violets with licorice, espresso, and clove oil in the background. Medium to full-bodied, this is a more structured face of Mouton, delivering a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and decadent. Still so youthful, this is just the opening act for this show-stopper, but what an entrance! Drink it now to 2060+. Philippine de Rothchild was still in charge of the estate at this time and Philippe Dhalluin, who started in 2004, was the winemaker.

One of the real highlights on the Left Bank, the 2005 Mouton Rothschild is a dark, potent Pauillac. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and leather all take shape in the glass. The 2005 is a dense, powerful and explosive wine endowed with tremendous energy and pure power. The fruit is just starting to emerge, but Mouton remains a very tight, super-classic wine. With time in the glass, some of the natural richness and radiance of the year starts to emerge. Even so, the 2005 is still very young and closed. A few more years in bottle will only be beneficial. Impressive. Tasted two times.