Château
Mouton Rothschild wine is by far the most sensual, richest, most exotic and full-bodied
grand cru in the
Médoc. But above all,
Mouton Rothschild is the symbol of a great wine that has had to make a name for itself throughout history, thanks to daring owners with revolutionary ideas. This is a real family saga.
The history of Mouton Rothschild wine
The history of Mouton Rothschild, a
Pauillac wine, dates back to
1853.
The beginning of the Mouton Rothschild wine adventure
In 1853,
Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought
Château Brane-Mouton in
Pauillac, in the heart of the Médoc, at auction. He renames Château Mouton Rothschild and produces his own
wine, which he serves to his prestigious guests. In 1855, it was
classified as a second growth. But with the Baron's death, quality declined. The estate fell into total disrepair, offering only average-quality wine.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild, an independent spirit of visionary genius
In 1922, the estate was taken over by
Philippe de Rothschild, who devoted himself entirely to restoring its reputation. He decided to
bottle the entire château. In 1926, he had the spectacular 100-meter-long "
Grand Chai " built. He acquired a trading company which produced and marketed mainly Mouton Cadet, today the world's leading Bordeaux AOC brand.
In 1973, Château Mouton was officially
promoted to premier cru status.
Since her father's death in 1988, his
daughter Philippine has carried on the château's tradition of excellence, using methods such as: exclusively manual harvesting, double sorting, vinification in wooden vats, and ageing in new oak barrels.
The famous Château Mouton Rothschild labels
Château Mouton Rothschild's reputation is also enhanced by the
labels that adorn its bottles. The first was designed in 1924 by cubist painter Jean Carlu. But from 1945 onwards, tradition dictated that each year, a
famous artist would create a work of art to decorate the upper section. The originals are kept in the château's wine museum.
Famous contemporary artists from all over the world have illustrated the labels of every
Château Mouton Rothschild vintage, including César, Pablo Picasso, Balthus, David Hockney, Annette Messager, Olafur Eliasson and Peter Doig.
The Mouton Rothschild 1986 style
Mouton Rothschild 1986 is a
deep, flamboyant
wine with powerful tannins and a legendary bouquet of cedar, violet, almond, blackcurrant and red fruit. It is the very expression of elegance and aristocracy. It comes from a
vineyard planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, with vines well over
45 years old. It is characterized by a
predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, which accounts for 83% of the vineyard's grape varieties, complemented by
Merlot and
Cabernet Franc. The blend of these grape varieties varies according to the character of each vintage.
Mouton Rothschild goes perfectly with red meats (roast lamb, beef, game birds and game). But it goes very well with poularde, or even rabbit.
