Château Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac 1990 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Jamessuckling.com

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/17/2015

A less-than-extraordinary Mouton with licorice and sandalwood on the nose, but this is still lovely and easy to drink. Medium body, good fruit and soft tannins.

Wine Spectator

87 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/28/2005

This is slightly vegetal now, with some berry and herbal character. Not very impressive. '89/'90 Bordeaux non-blind horizontal. Drink now. 25,000 cases made.

Wine Advocate

87 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/1/1997

Considering the vintages and the estate, Mouton's performances in 1989 and 1990 are puzzling. I have tasted these wines multiple times since my last reviews appeared in print. The 1990 is a hard, lean, austere, tannic style of Mouton that I predict will never shed enough tannin to attain complete harmony and balance. The wine exhibits a deep ruby color, less noticeable sweet oak than it possessed 2-3 years ago, hints of ripe blackcurrant fruit, and an attenuated, angular, tough style that is uncharacteristic of this chateau's winemaking, as well as the character of the 1990 vintage. This wine needs at least 10-15 years of cellaring, but don't expect a balanced Mouton when the tannin fades away - the wine is not that concentrated. In the context of a great vintage, Mouton's 1990 is a disappointment. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.

Wine Advocate

88-89 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe12/1/1994

I have had numerous opportunities over the last six months to re-evaluate the 1990, which I thought was stunning from cask, but frightfully tannic and hard from bottle, where I rated it 87. Tasted both stateside and at the chateau with Philippe Cottin in November, the 1990 appears to be putting on some weight, although it still comes across as narrowly constructed and very tannic, hard, and backward. At present I would rate it 88-89+. I am glad to see that Monsieur Cottin agrees the wine is not flattering to taste and has gone into a shell since bottling. Several subscribers have written to say the wine is being discounted significantly by retailers aggressively trying to move stocks of this wine. For readers with 10-15 years of patience, the 1990 Mouton-Rothschild may regain the form I predicted for it prior to bottling, but at this stage the harshness of the tannin still gives me cause for concern.

Wine Advocate

87 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/1/1993

The 1990, impressive from barrel, is a disappointment from the bottle. While less evolved than the 1989, it is excessively oaky, with a Jack Daniels, whiskey barrel-like smell. Medium-bodied and somewhat hollow, it is frankly embarrassed when tasted beside the likes of Latour and Margaux. Subsequent tastings continue to reveal a certain coarseness and obvious lack of concentration. What a shame! The 1990's label by the late Francis Bacon is stunning. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2010. Last tasted, 8/93.

Wine Advocate

93-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/1/1992

The 1990 gets my nod as one of the three best Moutons since the great 1959 - the others being the 1982 and 1986. It is much more concentrated, backward, and less evolved than the 1989, and it is also less aggressively, or should I say excessively oaky than its predecessor. But for the long-term, there is more glycerin and concentration, and the finish is sweeter and longer in the 1990. The 1989 should drink well at an earlier age given its 1985-ish personality, whereas the 1990 is more of a long distance runner. This great Mouton is one of the most complete wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. P.S. The Maitre de Chais, Michel Bosq, continues to agree that the 1990 is superior to the 1989, largely because their crop-thinning efforts were more severe in 1990.