Top 200 wines of 2024, part ten, 98 point wines, #8 and #7

Ch. Mouton-Rothschild, 1982, #8, is an icon and a poster child for the greatest 'modern' Bordeaux vintage of our times, especially for those of us born after 1961. There is always a sense of occasion when you encounter this wine, which hushes the room, which can be variable, but at its best is full-bodied, rich, powerful, exotic and racy with a flamboyant swagger and pent up energy. The bottle we had in April, at our 'best of firsts' dinner at La Trompette, showed a new facet to this wine's personality. It has finally grown up and is fully mature: We meet again. Dark and inky. Tad of high-toned volatility, with a trademark Mouton nose of soy; rich red berry fruit and coffee notes, and on the palate initially uncharacteristically lean, austere and somewhat brooding, with the acidity coming to the fore. Then it began to unfurl, showing a new side to its personality that had a captivating elegance and finesse, whereas good bottles of younger versions of this wine in the past were defined by their energy, drive and fireworks and could be described as 'epic'. The middle-aged, grown up version of Mouton 1982 has a seamless texture and just got better and better as the night wore on, good bottles have decades to go…magnificent…

Ch. Cheval Blanc 1990, #7, is still remarkably youthful despite its age, and the best is yet to come; but this bottle did show a bit more evolution than the one we had a year earlier in April 2023 at Chris's Cheval Blanc vertical. As well as being much less evolved, the 1990 is noticeably sweeter, riper and more powerful than other Cheval Blancs from the 1980s, like, for example, the legendary 1985; it is grippier and more primary. It is blue-fruited with floral and mocha notes; it is rich, dense, multi-layered and opulent, with a signature green note despite its ripeness, and fine line of acidity, to keep it all in harmony and balance. Over the evening it keeps on improving in the glass as it fans out; it has boundless energy as it builds and builds. A wine for the ages, but which already delivers enormous pleasure. It is leaves you awe-struck and will sit in the pantheon of the greatest wines ever produce at this illustrious address.