This large-scaled wine is brimming with cassis and distilled plum fruit that’s remarkably pure, focused and driven in feel, supported by a seamless, iron-clad and remarkably polished structure, doing its job without detracting from the fruit. Add in sparkles of savory, racy floral and sanguine accents, as well as some pretty ridiculous length, and you have another battleship of a wine in the making. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. JM

A barrel sample, it was fascinating to take another look at the 2018 Mouton Rothschild, after having spent six more months in cask since I last tasted it. Deep garnet-purple, it maintains a jaw-droppingly profound nose of crème de cassis, mocha, plum preserves, licorice and Black Forest cake with touches of iron ore, Sichuan pepper, allspice and tilled soil. Full-bodied, super concentrated and possessing layer upon layer of black fruits, exotic spices and fragrant earth-inspired flavors, it has a rock-solid, firm, grainy texture with fantastic freshness and incredible length. LPB

Very Cabernet, blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf. Huge intensity and power, with vibrancy and elegance, but still quite hard to penetrate. Once the massive, robust tannins start to break down in the mouth they release wave upon wave of intense, tightly-cored blackcurrant fruit, with visceral precision and length. Make no mistake these tannins are very robust - but they were in 1986 and that didn't work out too badly. - April 2019

The 2018 Mouton Rothschild is dense and unctuous in the glass, with striking textural depth and plenty of overall intensity. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, leather and sweet spice infuse a Mouton that stands out for its unctuousness and fruit intensity. There is plenty of tannin, but it is nearly buried by the sheer voluptuousness of the fruit. In 2018, Mouton is radiant, sensual and impeccable in its balance, even if it doesn't possess the sheer visceral thrill, energy or pedigree of truly great vintages. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, May 2019

Black core with purple rim. Pure, perfectly ripe and lightly spiced cassis. Perfect Cabernet Sauvignon with a nice touch of cassis leaf to freshen the aroma – invitingly perfumed. On the palate, much more freshness than on the Petit Mouton, the tannins slimmer and finer even if they are compact and very present. Chewy, generous in fruit, big but harmonious. Structured and deep and so much more to come.Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019

Dark red ink in color, the wine exudes Asian spice, espresso, smoke, cigar box, walnuts, cocoa, blackberry and red currant aromas. If you can pull yourself away from seeking additional nuances in the perfume, the wine hits your palate with waves of sensuous, decadent, velvety, dark red fruits and spice that clock in at over 60 seconds. Think of 2018 as a better version of 2009, with more concentration, silkier tannins, additional levels of purity and opulence. Even with all this voluptuousness, the wine is energetic and intense. The blend comes from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 13.8% alcohol. Tasted March 2021

This has so much tannic power, with density, layers and structure along with layers of blackberry, liquorice, baked earth, cigar box and the signature exotic spices of Mouton. A big, textured and complex wine that is taking it all in its stride. 100% new oak. There is the tiniest touch of Petit Verdot in the blend, but under 1%, so it’s not in the official figures. 62% of production went into the grand vin. 3.78pH. 88IPT. The artist for this vintage is Xu Bing.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Part of Bordeaux 2018 in bottle: full overview plus top scoring wines

I am a little bit speechless about this one. I have not seen such earthy and totally deep character of the soil in a young Mouton in my career. Of course, I didn’t taste 1945 or 1959 when they were young, but I have been lucky enough to have a few bottles in my life. There is really terroir-driven character to this. Layered and so intense with polished and incredible tannins. - jamessuckling.com, April 2019