Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2002

WEINWISSER: "Verrücktes Schoko-Minze-Bouquet, Cakefrüchte, sensationell viel schwarze Früchte, sehr typisches Mouton-Bouquet. Im Gaumen deutlich mehr Primärfrucht als beim 2003er, Rasse, Pep, kraftvolles Finale, wilder Rosmarin, fast ein wenig australischen Fruchttouch zeigend, was weder atypisch ist noch die Qualität beeinträchtigt. Ein Traum-Mouton, seit den Anfängen, jetzt und noch viele weitere Jahre."

DECANTER: "Opulent yet restrained aromas which give the impression of ripeness. A sense of hedonism pervades here – and it’s very welcome too. Long and elegant with good depth of fruit, well woven tannins and a long, sensuous finish. Drinking Window 2015 - 2020"

FALSTAFF: "Die Fassprobe auf dem Château war sehr überzeugend: Kräftiges Rubingranat, gute Leuchtkraft, opaker Kern. In der Nase zarte Selchnote, zart animalisch, Schlehen, Kohle, dunkles Beerenmus. Am Gaumen fast floral, dick und konzentriert, hat aber bereits Schwung, Pfeffer und Würze, ein stoffiger Wein mit Schokonachhall, Kaffee, mittlere Länge, klassische Anlagen. 2006: Zeigt feine dunkelbeerige Nuancen, dezente rauchige Würze, mineralische Note."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep crimson. Firm, strongly cassis nose. Very voluptuous texture. Appetising and beautifully balanced. Obviously Médoc. Dried out a little on the end but the contrast between the flesh of this wine and skinniness of the Margaux tasted immediately beforehand could not have been more marked. It was still fresh and clean 24 hours afterwards but had lost a little density."

JAMES SUCKLING: "I tasted this a few days after Bordeaux en primeur 2014. I was at my house in Italy and I forgot I had the bottle in my cellar. I really liked it. It was ready to drink, though some of my guests were less enthusiastic. My wife even thought it was tired already, yet the bottle was finished in 10 minutes! The wine showed fresh herb and berry character with tobacco undertones, a medium body and fine tannins. Just opening now. Fine and sillky textured."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This was a treat as First Growths are not popped that much these day. This is coming along nicely, with tobacco, cedar wood, cassis and earthy, forest floor notes continue developing. It's not the most concentrated vintage of Mouton, but it's starting to soften and fill out, while adding complexity and charm. Produced from a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, I'd give it another 5 - 8 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 2 decades."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2002 Mouton-Rothschild is a wine that burned brightly in its youth, though recent encounters suggest that maybe it is beginning to flag as it enters what you might call middle age. Here, it has a conservative bouquet with blackberry, cedar, warm bricks and melted tar aromas - an unfussy, uncomplicated, quite serious Pauillac bouquet. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity. It feels lively on the entry with fine tannin, a Mouton that is nimble on its feet with a gentle grip towards the finish, which offers a satisfying aftertaste of spice and clove. It does not mirror some of the outstanding bottles I consumed within the first decade of its life, and peering into this First Growth, it is difficult to see whether it will repay those who cellar it longer. Tasted December 2016."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Complex aromas of tobacco, cedar, berry and currants. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and ripe tannins. Not as good as a barrel sample tasted earlier, but still outstanding for the vintage. Best after 2009."