Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac 2005 | 750 ml.

ST95 Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/Jun 2008

"Full ruby-red. Explosive, superripe aromas of black raspberry, currant, graphite and tobacco leaf. Outsized, opulent and generous; this big boy saturates the entire mouth. There’s an almost exotic character to the plum and cedar flavors. Spreads out impressively on the back end, coating the palate with ripe tannins. The 2006 is at once finer and more powerful, with more noble tannins, but this is more opulent." (95 pts.)

RP96 Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 1st Apr 2008

"The 2005 Mouton Rothschild will have to take a back seat to the prodigious 2006, but administrator Philippe Dalhuin deserves considerable credit for pushing Mouton to higher quality levels over recent years. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot, the dark purple-hued 2005 exhibits a restrained but promising nose of cedar, tobacco leaf, creme de cassis, and toasty oak. Full-bodied, tannic, and extremely backward, with the vintage’s tell-tale acidity, it appears to be even more closed in the bottle than it was from barrel. It does possess a long finish and multilayered mouthfeel. This is an undeniably outstanding, yet restrained, shy wine for a Mouton Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2018–2040+" (96 pts.)

SP95 Wine Spectator Mar 31, 2008

"Dark purple black in color. Complex aromas of mineral, licorice, lead pencil and blackberry follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a caressing, pretty finish. Has a lovely texture. Shows elegance and refinement. Best after 2012." (95 pts.)

RP99+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 29th Dec 2014

"The 2005 Mouton-Rothschild has developed magnificently, and is even better than I remember. The final blend was 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Stunning notes of crème de cassis, melted asphalt, roasted espresso and cedarwood are present in this young, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Mouton. Just beginning to enter its adolescence, it should hit full maturity in 10–15 years and last for 50 or more. The greatness of this vintage is increasingly apparent as the wines throw off their cloaks of tannin." (99+ pts.)