Readers of this publication will notice that Robert Parker was never too fond of the 1964 Mouton-Rothschild, bestowing a score in the mid-50s! That is unsurprising given that this was a poor vintage on the Left Bank. This, my first encounter with the wine, came via a magnum that had been stored impeccably and served blind. While it was clearly from a less benevolent growing season, I did not find it to be such a terrible wine. The nose is faded and it cannot disguise that there is some early-picked, under-ripe fruit. There is some dustiness here. The palate is leafy and light with notes of cold tea and some greenness, but not what I would describe as a vegetal note. Though it attenuates towards the finish, it did seem to gain a little harmony in the glass. My conclusion is that while bottles might well be decrepit, larger formats might have something to offer, so long as your expectations are reasonably low! Tasted September 2016.

The 1964 Mouton is a notable failure because it was picked late in the deluge of rain that wiped out those chateaux that were waiting for extra ripeness. One wonders why Bordeaux's best chateaux do not declassify the entire crop when they produce a wine such as this. A sweet, cooked bouquet is followed by equally sweet, disjointed, flabby flavors. Last tasted, 1/91.