Château Mouton Rothschild 1998 was a real star of the 1998 Bordeaux vintage, performing well in what was a tricky year for many châteaux. 

Mouton Rothschild has been under the Barons de Rothschild ownership for over 100 years, and it was the unremitting efforts of the flamboyant Baron Philippe de Rothschild that resulted in Mouton's historical upgrade to premier Grand cru status in 1973 – the only change ever made to the Bordeaux classification of 1855.

Prior to the Médoc classification, Mouton's wine labels declared, Premier ne puis, Second ne daigne, Mouton suis ('First I cannot be, Second I do not deign to be, I am Mouton'). After the upgrade, the motto was changed to Premier je suis, second je fus, Mouton ne change ('First I am, second I was, Mouton does not change').

"Like many of its peers, the 1998 has filled out spectacularly...an extremely powerful, super-concentrated wine offering notes of roasted espresso, creme de cassis, smoke, new saddle leather, graphite, and licorice. It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavor profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity." eRobertParker.com