1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Magnum (1.5L)

RP100 "The 1986 Mouton-Rothschild has a powerful and intense bouquet as always: exemplary graphite and cedar scents, a touch of black pepper and incense. It seems to unfurl in the glass, like a motor revving its engine. The palate is beautifully balanced with its trademark firm tannic structure, a Mouton-Rothschild with backbone and masculinity. Layers of black fruit intermingling with mint and graphite, a hint of licorice emanating from the Merlot, gently fanning out and my God, it is incredibly long. It is not like the 1985 Mouton-Rothschild that is so fleshy and generous. This is serious, aristocratic Mouton, a true vin de garde and yes, I do think drinkers will have to wait until it reaches its true peak. Sometimes that's just the way it is." NM Dec 2016

JD100 "A wine that's been closed every time I've been lucky enough to taste it previously, the 1986 Château Mouton Rothschild appears to have finally come around, and it’s pure Bordeaux gold today. Still deeply hued and vibrant, with no bricking, it has a powerful, full-bodied style carrying lots of pure black currants, scorched earth, graphite, tobacco leaf, and roasted coffee-like aromatics. Full-bodied and still incredibly concentrated on the palate, it has a massive mid-palate, polished yet still present tannins, and an incredible finish. A legendary bottle of wine, it lived up to every expectation on this occasion. It probably has another 50 years of life, but it's in a great spot today. (Drink between 2023-2073)" JD May 2023
Bernard Séjourné (1947-1994) was born in Haiti where his family were planters. He studied painting and the history of art first in Jamaica and later in the United States, still preserving close ties with his island home.
Mysterious, sophisticated and very different from the naive style favoured by other Haitian painters, Séjourné's work holds echoes of some ancient culture: women with long graceful necks and half-closed eyes; seashells and tropical flowers; the subtle charm of pastel colours and smooth, wave-like shapes.
His trio of masks rising from the dark in their “white negritude” for the label of Mouton Rothschild 1986 is one of the finest examples of his work.