Mouton Rothschild 2002

Dense purple to the rim, this wine exhibits the classic cassis aroma that is so characteristic of Mouton. Medium to full-bodied, tannic, powerful, and cut somewhat from the 1988 mold, this is a backward, chewy, well-endowed Mouton-Rothschild that will require considerable patience from those who purchase it. A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine needs a good decade of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.

Tasted blind at Farr's 2002 Bordeaux tasting. The nose on this wine is tightly-coiled, holding something back for later, but you can coax out some attractive aromas of blackberry, tobacco, saddle-leather and pine cones. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, not quite as refined as Latour, but certainly coalescing in the glass beautifully with a wonderfully poised, almost feminine finish that caresses the palate. Lovely. Tasted October 2009.

Drink 2011-17 Big and furry and not pure. Not to my taste - very chewy and impure. Hard. Not looking very seductive at present.

A candidate for wine of the vintage, there are only 20,000 cases of the 2002 Mouton-Rothschild (there are 25,000 cases of the 2000). Made from low yields of 31 hectoliters per hectare, it is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The color may be the most saturated and opaque of any Medoc Cabernet-based 2002. It is a broad-flavored offering displaying tell-tale creme de cassis intermixed with smoke, cocoa, leather, and licorice. Still excruciatingly tannic, but incredibly dense, powerful, and rich, the phenolic measurements were nearly off the charts for this full-bodied, monster-sized Mouton. Given most Moutons’ track records, I suspect the 2002 will shut down after bottling, and perhaps need a minimum of 10-15 years to re-emerge. This is unquestionably a vin de garde for long-term cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2040