Fascinating Tasting Experience - Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1967 In Less Than Optimum Condition...
Fascinating experience tasting Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1967 last night w/ low ullage (wine below bottle shoulders) by > 3 cm. Thanks to the generosity of a student (nowadays, to bring an apple to the teacher does not cut it anymore!), we had an insightful learning experience!
After removing a very crusted capsule, the cork completely collapsed. It was soaked w/ wine & smelled of a very old tawny port.
In the glass, its color was opaque brown w/ much sediments in the glass. In fact, the perfect example of brown color, an optimum learning moment! Nevertheless, not a good sign.
Yet, it was quite drinkable. Not the tasting experience one would expect from a '67 Mouton, but not a bad one either.
Aromas of molasse, leather, coffee, raisin & tobacco. Very rancio but not quiet madeirized. Certainly past its best, but still pleasant in a funky very old oloroso sherry-like kind of way.
Texture very savoury & unctuous. Very caressing, nothing out of place. Intense rancio notes on the w/ noticeable bitterness. Pehaps it is this bitterness that was unpleaseant. Perhaps it should have been kept upright for at least 24 hours and decanted before tasting...
The fact that such a wine would survive a serious case of leakage (perhaps due to a storage problem @ high temperature) is perhaps a strong testament to its very high quality @ bottling? decanter.com does not rate the vintage very high & suggests it is early maturing.
Certainly this wine was past. But still, it was fro me drinkable w/ a certain "je ne sais quoi" in its enjoyment...