1) Quite a few publications on Bordeaux mention that "Mouton Cadet" originally was the 2nd wine of Mouton-Rothschild. However, no one seems to be able to give exact numbers on when MC was finally transformed into the generic mass-produced wine it is today. I'd be grateful if someone could shed a light on this. The reason I'm asking is that a local shop has some bottles of MC '57 and '59 in their so called "treasure grove" - they're pricey but not that expensive considering the vintages and the fact that they are likely to have been stored properly for the last decades (EUR 79.00 and 140.00, respectively). Could this be something of interest or are they just cashing in on the very old leftover stock of what's basically the same wine offered under the same name today?
2) Also, they are now marketing a new "luxury version" of MC (at least here in Germany) called "Mouton Cadet Réserve". They're obviously aiming at the "connoisseur" customer since it's available in Magnum bottles only (EUR
28.99).
3) BTW, has someone here ever tasted the Baron Philippe "single appellation cuvées" which are positioned somewhat above MC? My nearest supermarket has a bunch of them priced from EUR 14.99 (Graves) to EUR 19.99 (Pauillac). I passed them by thinking that there are probably much better bargains to be had at the lofty price tag, but maybe I'm wrong?
Arne