Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild Produces one of Bordeaux’s most prestigious wines since Roman times. Located in the Pauillac appellation, it is classified as a Second Grand Cru in the official classification of Bordeaux wines of 1855. It is the only wine to have had its classification changed, becoming a Premier Grand Cru in 1973. The vineyard covers 90 hectares of vines in production with an average age of 44 years.
History of the estate:
The property came into the Rothschild family in 1853 when Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought Château Brane-Mouton at auction. Keen to serve his prestigious guests his own wines, he renamed the estate Mouton-Rothschild. In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Nathaniel’s great-grandson, took over the management of the estate. Two years later, he introduced bottling at the château. Previously, the wine had been sent directly in barrels to wine merchants.
In 1924, he decided to commission Jean Carlu to illustrate the vintage label, but this was not followed up in subsequent years. The decision to bottle the wine at the château meant that the storage space had to be enlarged. This led to the construction of the great Mouton cellar in 1926, a 1OO meters long building designed by the architect Charles Siclis.
To celebrate the victory of the Allies in 1945, Baron Phillipe asked the artist Philippe Jullian to illustrate the label of Mouton Rothschild: the V of Victory was displayed on the bottle. This was a complete success, and launched a long line of label illustrations by contemporary artists such as Picasso and many others.
In 1973, Jacques Chirac, then Minister for Agriculture, signed a decree granting Mouton the rank of Premier Cru Classé. In 1988, after Philippe death, the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild take the lead of the vineyard with her three children: Camille, Philippe and Julien. The first vintage of white Aile d’Argent is produced on the estate in 1991. This wine is issued from 7 hectares of white grapes planted in the early 80’s. Then comes the first vintage of the second wine in 1993: Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild. Made from the youngest vines in the vineyard, but with the same attention to detail as for the Grand Vin. Philippine dies in 2014, leaving the lead to her three children working all together to perpetuating the heritage of a prestigious estate.
The Terroir:
The Mouton Rothschild vineyard is planted on very deep gravel. The grape varieties are typical of the region: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The terroir of Château Mouton Rothschild is one of the most prestigious in Bordeaux. Located in the Médoc, the vineyards are subject to an oceanic climate. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde estuary to the east. The soils are mainly gravel. Made up of pebbles and gravel that retain the sun’s heat, there is also sand, some of it clayey.
These poor, thin soils are ideal for producing elegant, powerful, rich red wines with long-keeping tannins. Pauillac is one of the most prestigious microclimates for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. It is in poor soils that this grape variety expresses itself best. The vine draws on its resources to produce a concentration of aromas and tannins that are evident on tasting. The appellation is made up of small clods. This encourages natural drainage and sunshine. The name ‘Mouton’ Rothschild comes from the French motte or ‘Mothon’ in old French.
The wines:
Cabernet Sauvignon is still the predominant grape variety in the Grand Vin blend. It gives Mouton its rich tannins, broad aromatic palette and capacity for aeging. The inseparable Merlot adds suppleness, roundness and exceptional length. The grapes are harvested by hand and then sorted by hand to select the best bunches. The grapes are gravity-fed into the vats so that the fruit is subjected to as little pressure and stress as possible. The oak vats (44) of different sizes allow for parcel-by-parcel vinification. In this way, each piece of land can express itself individually. Stainless steel vats (20) are also used in the wine-making process. The wine is matured in new oak barrels. Special care is taken to monitor the wine’s development.
The Grand Vin Château Mouton Rothschild seduces with its refined character and its delicate combination of power and aromatic richness. Its complex nose blends fragrances of black fruits with savoury notes of spices, tobacco, graphite and fresh cedar. Throughout the tasting, Château Mouton Rothschild reveals a suave texture and fine tannins stretching to a persistent, subtly mineral finish.