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.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Good saturated ruby-red. Tight nose hints at currant and smoky oak. Highly concentrated, densely packed and built to age. As young as it is, it also shows a lovely velvety texture rare for this vintage. Finishes with terrific breadth, subtle minerality and noble tannins. I've been a fan of this wine since the outset. (ST)

(05/2005)

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. The wine showed fresh herb and berry character with tobacco undertones, a medium body and fine tannins. Just opening now. Fine and silky textured.

(06/2016)

Robert Parker's 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. (NM)

(02/2017)

Wine Spectator

Complex aromas of tobacco, cedar, berry and currants. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and ripe tannins. Outstanding for the vintage. (JS)

(03/2005)

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. 18.5/20 points. (JR)

(11/2012)