1992 Château Mouton Rothschild Magnum is a fascinating mature First Growth from a vintage that is generally overshadowed by the great Bordeaux years of the early 1990s. However, the Magnum format makes this particular bottle considerably more interesting, as the larger format can preserve freshness and allow the wine to mature more slowly.
Château Mouton Rothschild's official blend for 1992 was 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The estate describes the wine as harmonious and elegant, with a firm, compact tannic structure and a long, structured finish.
The bouquet is now mature and wonderfully tertiary, showing tobacco, caramel, cedar, cigar box, leather and cassis, with developing aromas of humus, dried herbs, anise and figs. The fruit is initially somewhat reserved, but opens considerably with air.
On the palate, this is medium-bodied, elegant and savoury rather than massively powerful. Mature red and black fruit sits alongside tobacco, cedar, spice and earthy notes. The tannins have softened substantially but still provide a gentle structural framework, while fresh acidity keeps the wine lively.
The finish is long, refined and savoury, with lingering tobacco, leather, cassis, dried fruit and earthy Pauillac character. Importantly, a recent tasting specifically of the 1992 Magnum found it mature but fresh, with an elegant palate and remaining tannic structure, rating it 93 points and noting that the Magnum showed particularly well.
