A brief history of Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Château Mouton Rothschild's early history is somewhat vague but some of the first records state that the château was presented to the Duke of Gloucester as a gift in the early 15th century, before returning to French ownership following the end of the Hundred Years War. It was not until the 18th century that viticulture became the prime focus. In 1720, the estate was bought by Joseph de Brane and subsequently named Brane-Mouton, laying the foundation for its success. The progress was temporarily halted in the 19th century, when Joseph's grandson, Hector, sold the winery to a Parisian banker, who largely neglected the property. Although Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought the property in 1853 and quickly set about restoring its allure, Mouton Rothschild was classified as a Second Growth in the official 1855 Bordeaux Classification. In 1922, Philippe Rothschild took over, introducing domaine bottling, which had previously been unheard of in Bordeaux. He also began the tradition of artist-designed labels post-WWII. In 1973, Mouton Rothschild upgraded to a First Growth status, an unprecedented move. After Philippe's passing, his only daughter, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, managed the estate until she passed away in 2014. Today, her three children continue the Mouton tradition, with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild serving as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac, Bordeaux overview

Château Mouton Rothschild is one of the five Bordeaux First Growths and one of the most sought-after wines in the world. The wine has perhaps the most flamboyant style of all the First Growths, and offers incredible depth and concentration as well as balance, length and purity. A Pauillac representative, Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety in the blend, which also features Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine has consistently earned 99- and 100-point scores from major critics. Mouton is also famous for the use of original artworks for its labels, a tradition that started in 1945. The list of commissioned artists includes the likes of Picasso, Salvador Dali, Miro, Warhol and David Hockney.

Performance

Understanding Chateau Mouton Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac, Bordeaux

The Mouton Rothschild estate is located thirty miles north-west of Bordeaux. The estate covers 90 hectares of vineyards in Pauillac, with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon (81%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%). They are situated on Plateau de Mouton, a hillock 27 metres above sea level, where the vines enjoy a southern exposure. The soils here consist of almost 100% pure gravel, which goes down over five meters below the surface in some parts of the vineyard. As with other top Médoc wines, the vineyard is densely planted (around 10,000 vines per hectare). The average age of the vines is 44 years. When it comes to their winemaking philosophy, the grapes that go into Mouton Rothschild are harvested entirely by hand and sorted once again prior to destemming. The wine is vinified in 64 large temperature-controlled wood 225 hectolitre vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. The Grand Vin is aged in 100% new French oak barrels for a period of 19 to 22 months.

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