Pure perfection, and reminding me slightly of the 1982, the 2009 Château Mouton Rothschild boasts an opaque ruby hue as well as an incredibly perfumed, sexy, seductive style in its ripe currant and cassis fruits as well as new saddle leather, spicy oak, smoke tobacco, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. Complex, full-bodied, and beautifully concentrated, with sweet tannins, this masterpiece is already impossible to resist yet won't hit full maturity for another decade and will evolve for 50-60 years if well stored.

Everything that makes Mouton Rothschild one of the world's great wines is here in spades. Incredible levels of concentration with an opulence not found in other Pauillacs create the backdrop here. Unctuous, velvety, rich, and palate-staining, there is an exotic edge to the texture, countless layers of perfectly ripe fruit, purity, and a spicy edge that sets you up for a seamless finish that lasts more than 60 seconds. As good as this is, patience is going to be a virtue here, as this is only getting started. Drink from 2029-2075.

Interesting to taste this vintage alongside the 2015, as the two have much in common - both generous, opulent and seductive, with tannins that are abundant but deceptively supple. Signature Mouton, muscular architecture, delivering cocoa bean, cedar, crème de cassis, fresh mint, liquorice, crayon, orange zest and pomegranate, celebrating a still-youthful expression of the juicy blackberry and cassis fruits, and a testatement to this exceptional vintage. This was drunk over dinner, and certainly tasted wonderful, but it has decades ahead of it, and will just keep on getting better. 100% new oak, Philippe Dhalluin director.

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Mouton Rothschild gives up bold earthy notions of underbrush, tilled soil and fungi over a core of crème de cassis, plum preserves and Indian spices with a waft of camphor. Full-bodied with a firm, velvety tannin texture and packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, it has seamless freshness and a very long, decadently fruited finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The texture is the most striking thing on this wine, right from the attack. It rolls out a carpet of silk and welcomes you in, and displays the gourmet edge that Mouton does so expertly, with blackberry, black cherry, crushed blueberries and garrigue. It has a softness that makes it not necessarily signature Pauillac, but certainly signature Mouton, with the ripeness of the fruit tempered by firm, brushed tannins and a core of controlled acidity. Crushed mint leaves appear on the finish. Multi-layered and brilliant. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-mouton-rothschild-bordeaux-france-2009-2298#pCul6vJsTuOWHzFJ.99

88% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Merlot. At first glance this wine is super dark and literally black at the core. On the nose a nice balance of fruit earth and wood notes. On the palate flavors of boysenberry raspberry blackberry graphite coffee and vanilla are all incredibly well integrated at this point. This wine has massive tannins but they are soft and elegant. Should be an outstanding Mouton.

This will always be a great contrast to the dark power of the 2010, sporting lush layers of fig, boysenberry and blackberry confiture, carried by velvety tannins, flowing through a long, anise-, tobacco- and cocoa-fueled finish. Not shy on grip, but much rounder and plusher in feel. Hard to resist now, but there's absolutely no rush.—Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2050. - JM

The 2009 Mouton-Rothschild has a more refined bouquet compared to the 2009 Latour, with scents of blackberry, graphite, undergrowth and hints of pressed rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded entry. The intense black fruit is laced with pencil shaving and white pepper notes (indeed, the tip of the tongue tingles after the wine has exited.) This is a multi-dimensional First Growth with a very persistent finish. Mouton-Rothschild? Bingo. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. -- Neal Martin

The purest Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with dark chocolate and intense dark berry flavors. The tannins are so enveloped by the fruit and yet they promise great aging. At this stage wood shows through the fruit but the texture is so rich and opulent that it should easily become integrated. R.V.