1985 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild

[dananne]

I feel almost silly writing a tasting note for this. I have no frame of reference for a 20-year old Bordeaux, let alone a First Growth, so last night was a night of firsts for us. It was gifted to us in the summer (and even spent a half hour in the back seat of a locked car in 90* August heat before the gift was remembered). Initially, I was horrified, but not entirely surprised, to find the cork had pushed up a bit, and that it was completely saturated. Not expecting much at this point, I dumped it into a decanter and gave a sniff -- all OK so far, so at least it wasn't cooked. We took it outside, sat down in front of our chiminea fire, and proceeded to sip while watching a romantic comedy on our portable DVD player.

The wine improved during the evening, at first showing tart fruit and oak, later showing syrupy black currant, a smooth mouthfeel, and some vanilla on the finish. There was a bit of leaf or wet earth on the nose, but I didn't get any of the cigar box for which I've heard older ones are known.

All in all, a very pleasant evening for the two of us, and a nice education as we continue this wine odyssey.