1989 - Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac

Whereas the 1989 Mouton-Rothschild opened at 67 Pall Mall failed to pass muster, this bottle tasted four months later was outstanding, many voting it the standout wine of the 1989 dinner. It has a quintessential Pauillac nose that gains more and more complexity with aeration: blackberry, pencil shavings, and freshly rolled tobacco, all wrapped up in First Growth refinement. The oak is beautifully integrated, a fine-boned Pauillac that errs towards Lafite in style. It's "Old School" in the best sense of the word. This is unequivocally the best bottle of the 1989 Mouton that I have had, including a couple of the estate. Tasted at the 1989 dinner at Piccolino in London.