Château Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac 2005

Vinous

98 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe11/15/2015

Graphite, scorched earth, tar, licorice, incense and a host of dark fleshed stone fruits emerge from the 2005 Mouton-Rothschild. Here the overall impression is of pure verticality and structure. Dense, powerful and super-concentrated on the palate, the 2005 is another wine that is just beginning to gradually enter the early part of what looks like a long plateau of fabulous drinking. The tannins have softened, but the flavors remain quite vibrant. Readers who appreciate more layers of nuance should cellar the 2005 for at least a few more years.
Drink 2020 - 2055.

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/30/2015

The 2005 Mouton Rothschild (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc) has a sensational nose of crème de cassis and incense as well as a touch of lead pencil shavings and forest floor. Dense purple, this is one of the biggest, richest wines I tasted from the Médoc. It is full-bodied, pure, and impressively endowed. Certainly the selection process and the vineyard have come through in admirable form. This wine has a certain accessibility due to the sweetness of the tannin, but it is multidimensional, with a majestic mouthfeel and length. Drink it over the next 30+ years. 

Jamessuckling.com

98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/17/2015

This accelerates on the palate with incredibly ripe tannins and finesse. Full body, roasted fruit, leather and grilled meat. Dried flowers, too. It shows superb tannin backbone and polish. Tight and youthful. Just starting to open. Better in 2018.

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe2/9/2015

Dark crimson. Not one of the most expressive aromatically. Seems rather introvert and entrenched. Very Cabernet and pure. Somehow ‘cooler’ than some 2005 firsts. A dry finish with marked tannins and all still to play for. None of the rich spiciness that can sometimes characterise this wine. Dry finish – just a little more austere than some vintages. But no hint of California-isation. Overall a markedly dry wine. 

Wine Advocate

99 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe12/30/2014

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+ points)

La Revue du Vin de France

19 / 20

the10/20/2014

Sans aucun doute, le meilleur Mouton depuis le légendaire 1982. Il conjugue à merveille le côté suave et démonstratif du cru avec une immense profondeur. L'attaque est massive, avec des flots de fruits, d'épices et des tanins superbes de raffinement. Immense persistance en bouche. Un vin de légende.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/15/2009

Tasted blind against its peers, this brilliant Mouton-Rothschild trumped both Latour and Lafite! If it lacked the same level of breeding out of barrel, then it sure as hell is making up for its now. The nose is incredibly ripe and is perhaps more accessible than those aforementioned Pauillacs. Dark cherries, kirsch, cedar and some lovely vanillary new oak – sleek and sophisticated. Great definition. The palate has a viscous entry, fat round tannins, voluptuous, generous and sensuous. Great depth with blackberry, raspberry, a touch of black olive tapenade. Sensuous, feminine finish. Sublime. Drink 2017-2040+ Tasted January 2009.

Decanter Magazine

15 / 20

the10/13/2008

Monster nose. Black, powerful and ultra-serious. Sensational. A touch of exotic coconut, then wow! Stacked with dense, ripe fruit. Perfect. From 2020.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

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.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/7/2008

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+

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/22/2008

La Revue du Vin de France

20 / 20

the8/29/2007

Mouton 2005 est le plus grand vin élaboré par le domaine depuis le légendaire 1945. Derrière la robe opaque se cache un raffinement extrême, puissant et suave, avec une richesse énorme, mais un équilibre parfait. La fraîcheur du fruit est impressionnante.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/4/2007

A superb Mouton, the 2005 is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and a dollop of Cabernet Franc. Under the new administrator, Philippe Dalhuin, the strictest selection of any recent vintage was instituted (64% of the production was used), and the 2005's 13.5% natural alcohol is one of the highest ever achieved at this estate. While not as good as the 1986 or 1982, the 2005 is a brilliant wine offering a classic inky/blue/purple color along with notions of creme de cassis, licorice, and sweet oak. Full-bodied, powerful, and exceptionally pure with good underlying acidity as well as a boatload of tannin, it will approach full maturity between 2015-2020, and should keep for 40 years.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/1/2006

The 2005 Mouton-Rothschild (a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc) tips the scales at 13.2% alcohol, one of the highest percentages ever achieved at this estate. It does not possess the power or awesome depth of the 1986 or 1982, but it may represent a modern-day clone of the 1955. A tannic, backward, concentrated, powerful Mouton built for the ages, it will require 10-15 years to reach its full potential. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of creme de cassis and smoke, but no trace of new oak. That in itself is a good indication of how rich and concentrated this wine must be to have absorbed all its oak at this stage of its evolution. One might also term it 1996-like in style given its fresh acidity and bright personality. Medium to full-bodied, impeccably elegant, powerful yet subtle and reticent at present, it will be extremely long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+

Wine Spectator

92-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/28/2006

Lots of currants, berries and minerals and light toasted oak on the nose. Full-bodied and very refined, with lots of silky tannins and a long finish. Elegant and fine. Very pretty. But should be up with the rest of the first-growths. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. —J.S.