Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1er Cru 1988

Suckling: There's licorice here along with mint, some lead pencil and flowers. It's full and round displaying wonderful vanilla and plum flavors. Very silky and refined yet dense and caressing. A beauty, though it does turn a little dry, always revealing its wood. 93/100 (2015)

Falstaff: Dunkles Rubingranat, sehr gute Farbtiefe, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. In der Nase feines Unterholz, balsamisch, zarte Trüffelnote, am Gaumen elegant, samtige Textur, sehr elegant, fein verwoben, mittlere Länge, nahtlos, delikate Frucht, feines Schokotannin im Finish, frische rotbeerige Anklänge im Abgang. Recht ident 2006: Fein schokoladig, trüffelige Nuancen, dunkle Beerenfrucht, etwas Vanille. Am Gaumen rassig und frisch, kernige, feste Tannine, hat eine sehr gute Struktur, mineralische Substanz, präziser Stil. 90/100 (2006)

Tom Cannavan: Lovely quality again, with a slightly more developed briarwood, chestnut and pencil-shaving nose. Not quite so delicious as the 1990, but possibly finer. There are notes of coffee, tobacco and finely-wrought blackcurrant and plum. On the palate very fresh and positive, with sweet berry fruit and a sense of minerality at the core. There's a good framework of toasty oak, balanced acidity and fine, silky tannins. Lovely quality here. 93/100 (2002)

Robert Parker: Slight aging on rim. A rich nose of minerals and blackcurrant. Medium-bodied with classic Mouton style. This has more fleshy fruit than other Firsts: quite rounded blackberry and tar. Very Cabernet dominated with a little more expression that Lafite 1988. A classic claret in every sense. 89-91/100 (2000)