I have never had anything but extraordinary, decadent, fabulously rich, concentrated bottles of the 1947 Mouton-Rothschild. The exotic, ostentatious bouquet of ginger, mint, coffee, cedar, and gobs of cassis fruit is followed by a syrupy, viscously-textured, thick, juicy Mouton that is bursting with fruit. Although drinkable since I first tasted it over a decade ago, it exhibits no signs of fruit loss or color deterioration. It is one of the most exotic and opulent Mouton-Rothschilds I have ever tasted. Last tasted 7/97.

The 1947 Mouton Rothschild continues to drink fabulously well, bursting with rich aromas of cassis mingled with espresso roast, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and exotic spices. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it remains a thick, textural wine of notable breadth and concentration, displaying a sweet core of fruit, ripe tannins and a long, expansive finish. I have enjoyed even more vibrant, complete bottles of this legendary wine, but this was still a superb example. If I owned any bottles—and alas, I don't—I'd opt to finish them up this decade, but perfectly stored bottles and larger formats clearly have the potential to see out a century not merely intact but in fine form. By the numbers, the 1947 checks in at 12.5% alcohol and pH 3.44.