TN: 1976 Mouton, 1988 Cos d’Estournel

Last night. Still relatively dark in color, the 1976 Mouton shows wet forest floor, tobacco and mushrooms on the nose. Still some nice acidity on the palate, spices, herbs, graphite, pencil, old leather, and some ripe black and red fruits. The herbal finish has a good length, but nothing special. After about two hours, the wine starts to fade away. This is not an outstanding, exotic Mouton, nonetheless a seamless, fine and elegant wine - enjoyable, nicely balanced and still alive, but needs drinking up in the next couple of years. Better than expected!

No surprise, the excellently balanced 1988 Cos d’Estournel is more compelling than the 1976 Mouton. A real joy for lovers of traditional red Bordeaux. Complex and excellently balanced, this medium to full-bodied wine shows wonderful freshness, precision, and purity. Delicious dark berries and blackcurrant fruit still dominate on the palate, accompanied by notes of tea leaves, licorice, roasted coffee, herbs, forest floor, and a hint of anise. The well-structured, spicy, minerally finish is not overwhelming, but satisfying nonetheless. I think this graceful, seamless Saint-Estèphe can still age effortlessly.
1976-Mouton-1988-Cos.jpg

I would have loved to try that '76

I cannot help, the two times I had the Mouton 1976 it was a major disapointment. In about 1995 I already thought it might have been better 5+ years ago, lacking depth and class, with a rather hollow midpalate, and 6 years ago it was seriously in decline. It´s not worth PC status imho, and that 3 years after its elevation to First Growth.
I know 1976 is not a great vintage, but we had all 5 FGs side by side in 1995, and Lafite, Latour and Haut Brion were much better, Margaux was corked unfortunately.

1988 Cos is a classic.

I have never understood why Mouton was elevated to First Growth status and none of the so called Super Seconds, Palmer included. If any, a more flexible classification would certainly be appropriate. In my view, however, the outdated 1855 classification belongs in a museum. [berserker.gif]

Well, when a growth is capable of producing legends like 1982 and 1986 - which imho are among the greatest Bordeaux ever - the status per se seems to be justified. Problem is only they produce this quality far too rarely. I mean tasting the 1990 for instance.

I will answer that question if you first tell me how old you are. It’s all about history and politics.

I would have loved to try the '88 Cos.

I’m 64, Jay. :slight_smile:

I’m 68, so let’s say close enough. The answer is that when they were elevated to being a first growth (IIRC the 1973 vintage, one bottle of which I bought on release), the “super seconds” were not so super, and there were only two - Cos and Las Cases. There had been a run of bad vintages going back to 1967 (the '66s had a good reputation that in hindsight was probably undeserved), and there was a lot of mediocre and worse Bordeaux. The late 1950s and 1961 Moutons were outstanding. The Baron and others had expressed the view for years that the only reason Mouton was not a first growth in the initial classification was because of rampant antisemitism in France (Lafitte was not acquired by the Rothshilds after 1855). Combine that with the fact that his ex-wife died in a concentration camp, plus the power of his 1945 bottle label - La Victoire - was enough to swing the French to elevate Mouton to first growth status. And then there’s line line on the 1973 label - Premier je sui - Second je fus - Mouton ne change. First I am, second I was, Mouton never changes.

A couple of corrections if I may.
Palmer was every bit as worthy as Mouton in the 1960s and 1970s, as was La Mission, which you may argue is not a super second, but if Haut Brion is a First Growth, then LMHB undoubtedly should have been considered for elevation.

I assume you meant that Lafite was acquired after 1855.

I agree with the comments that because Mouton is capable of producing Bordeaux’ best wine in any given vintage, the terroir is indeed first growth in quality, even if the winemaking is sometimes not. I was reminded how great Mouton can be in 2016, a wine I bought in quantity. Although I did not taste the Latour, this was the best of the first growths I did taste, including Cheval and Ausone (not Pavie and Angelus for obvious reasons).

The 1976 has always been mediocre. Ironically after it’s elevation, Mouton went through a really bad patch. 1978 and 1981 were the only real exceptions, although I have good and bad bottles of 1975 and 1979.

Yes, 1976 Mouton was disapointing.

Reg. the 1979 M.: when we had been invited by a befriended family nearby La Rochelle about 8-9 years ago we were proudly served a 1979 Mouton, the treasure bottle of their cellar, purchased by their father after release and travelled maybe less than 200 km in its lifetime. The cellar was perfectly cool.

The wine was not cool - in fact it was really mediocre, hard, metallic, without any charme and only minor uninteresting fruit, short and acidic …
if I had to rate it I wouldn´t have given 80 points.
One can imagine how I was struggling what to say to the host … (of course I was “excited and honoured” to be served such a famous bottle … a necessary lie …)

There may be better bottles anywhere … but a 2nd one 3 years ago was barely better …

I couldn’t agree more. And if we consider the performance of the top wines of the region over the last seven/ eight decades until today, an elevation of La Mission and Las Cases is long overdue - not only as measured by the performance in top vintages, but also and especially by the performance in more difficult vintages.

Yes, but Las Cases, La Mission, and even Pichon Comtesse were capable of producing legendary wines in 1982 too. And over the last seven/ eight decades, Las Cases has produced at least as much legends as Mouton… and La Mission even more.

Thanks for your detailed answer, but what would have been your response, if I were much younger or twenty years older for instance? - Just curious. :slight_smile:

La Mission-HB is in Graves/Pessac-Leognan, and that´s a completely different classification (1953/59), there are no First Growths there, only classified (red/white) … and the rest non-classified.
Haut-Brion was the only Chateau included in the 1855 classification out of the Medoc and Sauternes/Barsac.

newhere

You are completely right, Gerhard, but if there is one exception, why not a second exception? :slight_smile:

I think you’ll get quite a bit of loud arguments over any attempts to elevate Las Cases (deservedly so, imho).

I am with Greg here. There are many who love this wine, and many who don’t see what the fuss is about. I am one of the latter, and had maybe a couple of wines I consider great, the 1996 and 2005.

I do not think it is even in the top five candidates worthy of promotion.

personally I think it should be elevated just because they were making wine in 1006. [tease.gif]

Fixed