2009 Château Mouton Rothschild (Ex-Château)

Tasted blind. NHB. Dark purplish crimson. Even more intense nose than the previous wine of this pair tasted blind (Promontory 2019)! More savoury, drier and more tannic. But with masses of potential. Less evolved – still tightly wound, in fact. But the long finish suggests real potential. (JR)

Note the relatively low alcohol. Quite an intense fragrance, Proper wine with a beginning, middle and end. Real ripeness – but no sweetness. Obvious Pauillac rigour with some subtlety. (JR)

Interesting to taste this vintage alongside the 2015, as the two have much in common - both generous, opulent and seductive, with tannins that are abundant but deceptively supple. Signature Mouton, muscular architecture, delivering cocoa bean, cedar, crème de cassis, fresh mint, liquorice, crayon, orange zest and pomegranate, celebrating a still-youthful expression of the juicy blackberry and cassis fruits, and a testatement to this exceptional vintage. This was drunk over dinner, and certainly tasted wonderful, but it has decades ahead of it, and will just keep on getting better. 100% new oak, Philippe Dhalluin director.