1949 Mouton Rothschild
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Tasting notes
This was from another world. What a wine! Words are inadequate, but I\'ll try. The explosive perfume shot out its red with black currants, menthol, caramel, cigar ash, tobacco, smoke, and Indian spices with ease. The palate was equal to the task with its waves of bright, crisp, spicy currants infused with tobacco. Almost creamy and silky in texture, the finish was long, seamless, and simply gorgeous. What a wine! Drink from 2026-2039.
Critic scores
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Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Very, very dark crimson. Rich and round and complete. Full and flattering. Mouton really did seem to be on a roll in the late 1940s... Baron Philippe at his most determined? Mouton was, after all, still a second growth at this stage. (JR)
From The Purple Notebook – Bill Baker’s Dinner at the Blueprint Cafe Sweet and full and rich. Round. Exciting. Wonderfully vibrant. Very long and rich with a very slight and positive hint of mushrooms. Actually better balance than my memory of the exotic, spicy, almost medicinal 1945. (JR)
The 1949's bouquet offers copious amounts of sweet, ripe cassis fruit, herbs, spicy oak, and a touch of coffee and cinnamon. Medium-bodied, with moderate tannin still noticeable, this compact, dark garnet, opaquely-colored wine possesses superb concentration and a remarkably long finish. It appears to be fully mature, yet the balance, length, and tannin level suggest this wine could last for another 20 years. The 1949 was always considered to be the late Baron's favorite vintage. While I find it a formidable Mouton, I have a preference for the 1945, 1947, 1959, 1982, and 1986. Last tasted 10/94.
About the producer
Pauillac-based Ch. Mouton Rothschild is one of the five First Growths, producing some of the finest wine in Bordeaux and the world. Known for its flamboyant style, the label for the Grand Vin is designed by a different artist each year.