Mouton Rothschild 1961 (750ML)

20/20 JR / 99 WCI / 98 VM / 98 RP / 98 JA

A bottle that had been decanted 12 hours previously and, although there was the tiniest suggestion it has not been freshly opened, was absolutely stonking.  So rich, sweet and concentrated yet with no dryness at all. Absolutely luscious. So rich, sweet and round – and actually livelier than the 1959 served alongside that had been decanted only a couple of hours before.  - Jancis Robinson

The 1961 MoutonRothschild is one of those elusive wines that until now I have never tasted. Deep in colour with remarkably little ageing on the rim, it has a stunning bouquet with blackberry, briary and wild heather aromas. Graphite and leather emerge with time, after five minutes matching the ethereal quality of the Palmer. The palate is beautifully balanced with enormous depth, subtle marine scents infusing the black fruit, later freshly picked mint. There is an effervescent quality about this Mouton-Rothschild, a supremely gifted wine that dares to challenge the supremacy of the 1961 Latour. What a fabulous wine. Tasted at the 1961 dinner Chairman Miaow’s in Hong Kong. -- Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Huge, cedary, cassis, lead pencil, menthol-like aromas soared from the glass. The black/purple color revealed no signs of lightening or amber at the edge. Full-bodied, rich, and super-intense, this was an a profound bottle of 1961 Mouton that would have stood up against the compelling 1959. - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

This vintage came 12 years before Mouton Rothschild was promoted to First Growth in 1973, and it clearly shows that it was already more than equalling its future siblings. Still rich ruby in colour, a touch earthy on first aromatics but settles quickly in the glass, and as it opens it transforms into a gorgeous finessed glass with peony and crushed rose aroamtics, gentle cigar box, campfire, black truffle and sofly-spoken brambled fruits. Fine tannins remain engaged, and this wine still has plenty to say. The bottle that I had ex-cellar from Mouton at the end of 2023 was just a little more concentrated, so inevitably storage comes into play with bottles of this age, but it’s a delighful. Baron Philippe de Rothschild at the helm, with a stunning black, red and gold label by Georges Mathieu.-Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux