Château Mouton Rothschild 1975

Château Mouton Rothschild 1975

Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé (since 1973)
Vintage: 1975
Appellation: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Grape varieties: Typical Mouton cuvée of the era: estimated approx. 80-85% Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Vintage rating: A very good, if not legendary, year. Characterised by heat and drought.

1 Introduction and historical context

1975was a year of extremes in Bordeaux: a very dry and hot summer that produced grapes with small berries, concentrated flavours and powerful, sometimes somewhat robust tannins.

Historically, this wine is significant for two reasons:

1. It is one of the first vintages to be releasedafter Mouton Rothschild was officially elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1973. This emphasises its symbolic status.

2. The label was designed by the American pop artist Andy Warhol. It shows the portrait of Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Warhol's unmistakable, silkscreen-like style. This also makes the bottle a coveted collector's item.

2. sensory description (in its current state of maturity)

The 1975 Mouton is a classic representative of its vintage: powerful, tannic and late-ripening. After almost 50 years, it is a wine that has shed its wild youth and is showing its maturity.

• Colour: Medium brick red with a broad orange rim ("pelure d'oignon"). The colour betrays its considerable age.

• Nose (aroma): The nose is complex and mature, dominated by tertiary aromas:

  • Classic Pauillac notes of cedar, cigar box and tobacco.

  • Flavours of ripe plums, leather and damp earth.

  • With air, notes of black tea, spice and a light chocolate flavouroften develop .

  • The original primary fruit (blackcurrant, cassis) has completely faded into the spice and ripeness.

• Palate (flavour): The wine is full-bodied and still surprisingly powerful.

  • The once very dominant, sometimes grippy tannins have become softer and silkier, but are still noticeable and give the wine structure.

  • The body is now medium rather than full-bodied.

  • The acidity is well integrated, but no longer carries the same vibrancy as in great vintages.

  • The finish is long and leaves lingering memories of cedar, leather and warm spices.

3. ageing potential and current condition

• Ageing phase: The 1975 Mouton has demonstrateda very long ageing potential. After a long, often closed phase in its youth, it has been ready to drink since the late 1990s.

• Current state: The wine is at its peak. It has developed the full breadth of its complex flavours.

• Future: With perfect cellaring, it can maintain this plateau for another 5-10 years. However, it is unlikely that it will gain any more complexity. The slow decline, in which the flavours fade and the wine becomes thinner, could now begin. It should be drunk now.

4. serving recommendation

Opening such a bottle requires care:

1. Let it stand: Allow to rest for at least 24-48 hours before opening to settle the sediment.

2. Open carefully: The cork is fragile. A two-point lifter (Butler's Friend) is ideal.

3. Decanting: To separate the sediment, not to aerate. The wine should be decanted carefully and tasted immediately. Too long aeration could cause the fragile tertiary flavours to evaporate more quickly than it helps.

4. Temperature: 16-18 °C.

5. Accompaniment: Ideal with classic lamb, game (venison, deer) or a mature fillet of beef. A mature cheese such as Comté or a mild mountain cheese is also an excellent match.

5 Evaluation and market situation

• Evaluation: The 1975 vintage is generally considered to be very good, but not exceptional. The Mouton is considered one of the better wines of the vintage.

  • Robert Parker (Wine Advocate): 90/100 points (last retasted)

  • WeinWisser / René Gabriel: 17/20 points ("A very good, typical Mouton")

• Market price:The price is driven by the name Mouton Rothschild, the iconic Warhol label and the considerable age. A bottle in perfect condition is around 400- 600 euros (as of 2023/24). Bottles from original wooden cases (OWC) with the best provenance can be significantly more expensive.

6. conclusion

The Château Mouton Rothschild 1975 is a worthy and charismatic representative of its famous namesake and vintage.

It is a child of its time: powerful, tannic and with a long ageing period. Anyone opening a bottle today will be rewardedwith a complex, mature and classic Bordeauxthat epitomises all the elegance and power of Pauillac. The wild tannins of its youth have been transformed into a silky texture, and the flavours of cedar and tobacco are fully developed.

It is a wine for a special occasion, combining history and the art of winemaking. Don't expect an explosion of fruit, but the melancholic elegance and depth of a fully matured classic. Now is the time to savour it.