Bond's Preferred Wine

Objectively, the best James Bond movie ever made is Goldfinger. In the movie, Auric Goldfinger served James Bond a bottle of 1947 Mouton Rothschild - an epic vintage from an even-more epic Chateau. Bond is also served a 1955 Mouton Rothschild in Diamonds Are Forever. 


Mouton is regarded as one of the premier First Growth wines of Bordeaux, along with  Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut-Brion. The vineyard spans 220 acres in Pauillac, at the heart of Medoc. In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought the estate as he wanted to serve his own wine to his prestigious guests. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (2%). Each vintage, a unique label is designed by a famous artist of the year. 

Unlike the U.S., the french Appellation Controllee regulatory body does not permit French wine makers to irrigate their grapes - which would produce artificially high yields and diluted grapes. This generally results in the roots growing deeper to obtain necessary water - giving the grapes a lower yield but greater concentration of minerals in taste. Mouton vines are planted on a narrow strip of land 80 km long and 5km wide, close to a river for natural soil irrigation. The vineyard uses a gravely soil composition (a top-layer of rocks and pebbles) to retain a bit of the sun's heat on the vines during the chilly evenings.

While no longer drinkable, the 1947 sells for roughly $20,000 as a collector's item. The delicious and drinkable 1982 vintage sells for roughly $2,000. Such a big Bordeaux must be decanted for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. A wine critic's tasting notes: Very dark, garnet brick in color. Lovely nose of prunes, licorice, smoke, and bell peppers. Gorgeous black fruits come through at first, amazingly vibrant fruit considering its age. Lots of layers to this wine. Licorice, prunes, spice, cinnamon, and smoked game also on the palate. Full-bodied with good acidity and medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with stunning complexity and a lengthy finish.