Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Joseph de Brane, who purchased the seigneurie of the Barony of Mouton from the Ségur family in 1720, found himself the new owner of a small vineyard but no significant buildings (other than a few farm buildings), as these had been sold to Dominique Armailhacq, proprietor of what is now Chateau d'Armailhac; he was quick to take advantage of Mouton's cachet by renaming his own estate Mouton- Armailhacq. Joseph renamed his new acquisition Brane-Mouton, and he set to work on the vineyard; this was the beginning of the Mouton-Rothschild that we know today. Under the tenure of the de Brane family, the reputation of Mouton grew; records show that although prices lagged behind those for Lafite and Latour by some considerable distance, by the late 18th Century they were on a par with those for wines from other respected vineyards such as Pichon. The proprietor in the early 19th Century was Joseph de Brane's grandson, Hector, but in 1830 he decided to concentrate his efforts on Chateau de Gorse (which became the Brane-Cantenac of today), and he sold the estate to a Parisian banker, Isaac Thuret, for the princely sum of 1.2 million Francs. This change of hands may have had a major impact on the estate's ranking, as Thuret remained in Paris, the Mouton estate managed by a local négociant in his absence. Perhaps unsurprisingly, during this time Mouton fell into a state of disrepair. Eventually, in 1853, Thuret sold the estate at a loss, taking just 1.125 million Francs from its new owner, a member of the Rothschild banking family- Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild.Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, an absentee proprietor who employed Théodore Galos as an estate manager, soon began to turn things around at Mouton, regaining lost ground. But it was too little, too late for the classification. Most likely, it was that the first tier was already long decided; there were four accepted first growths, Lafite, Latour, Haut-Brion and Margaux, and it was not the business of the négociants to place the upstart Mouton alongside these illustrious names.

Under the tenure of the Rothschild family quality continued to improve, and within a few decades it seemed clear to most that an error had been made. Baron Nathaniel concentrated on viticulture, utilising the farm buildings and outhouses to make the wine of what was now Mouton-Rothschild. After his death in 1870 it was his son, Baron James that had a small chateau constructed; its name, Le Petit Mouton, is now synonymous with that of Mouton's second wine. At last there was somewhere to live on the property, but sadly not for James, who died the following year, at the tender age of 37 years. The estate passed first to his widow, Laura Thérèse, and then to his son Henri Rothschild, who had little time to devote to Mouton. Despite the excellence of the estate, however, no member of the family took any real interest in it until 1922 when Baron Nathaniel’s second son, the 20-year old Baron Philippe, enchanted by the charm and beautiful setting of the Chateau, decided to devote his life to it. He did not gain sole ownership until, upon the death of his father in 1947, he bought out his brother's and sister's shares, but it was 1922 when the great changes began at Mouton. Philippe, like his father, was an engaging all-rounder who shared his passion for motor-racing, but also tried his hand at the theatre, poetry, sailing and even film production. But it was at Mouton where he found his true calling I think. From the outset, his ambition was to make Mouton unique, producing the very best wine. His 65 years at Mouton bear witness to the strength of his personality, his spirit of enterprise and his sense of innovation. He revolutionized winemaking in Bordeaux; one of his first actions was to change to domaine bottling, rather than selling the wine in barrel, as was the norm not only here but throughout all Bordeaux. In 1926, he built the famous “Grand Chai”, the majestic 100-metre barrel hall which is still an outstanding feature of Mouton.

The first label was designed by cubist Jean Carlu, and was signed by Philippe himself. For the next few decades there were only a few modifications, otherwise it remained essentially unchanged, except for 1938, 1939 and 1940 when it went unsigned; Philippe was not there to sign the labels when the wine was bottled. Having been imprisoned in Vichy at the start of World War II, he then escaped to England; his wife, Vicomtesse Chambure, was less fortunate. She died in a concentration camp in 1945. Philippe also acquired new vineyards and developed new wines, starting with bottling of the weak 1927 vintage as Carruades de Mouton-Rothschild, and then the acquisition of neighbouring Mouton-Armailhacq in 1933, the property being renamed Mouton-Baron-Philippe. Carruades became Mouton Cadet, and for many years it was the product of the young vines of these two estates. Today it is a global brand; this and other wines being marketed by the négociant firm Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, also established by Philippe.Following the end of the war Philippe regained control of his estate, it having served as a military headquarters with barracks used by German troops, the product of the vineyard having been bottled under the direct supervision of Goering himself. In 1945, to celebrate the liberation of France, Baron Philippe had the imaginative idea of crowning the label for that year’s vintage with a suitable design. It was featuring a V for Victory design created by artist Philippe Jullian. This was the beginning of a new feature, unique to Mouton, as Philippe continued with a newly commissioned label every year thereafter. Details of all the fabulous labels of Mouton-Rothschild since the 1945 vintage, which have showcased work by Miro, Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Warhol, Delvaux, Bacon, Balthus, Tapies, are given here. Philippe's other great achievement was the righting of what he termed the "monstrous injustice" of Mouton's second growth status. For years the labels stated simply Premier ne puis, second ne daigne, Mouton suis, or 'First I cannot be, second I do not deign to be, I am Mouton". After 20 years spent fighting official inertia and the status quo, he won his battle, and in 1973, Jacques Chirac, then Minister of Agriculture, passed a decree conferring the status of first growth upon Mouton-Rothschild. Today, since the death of Philippe in 1988, it is his daughter, Baroness Philippinne and her own sons that run Mouton.

Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau d’Armailhac, is held in the Groupement Foncier Agricole (G.F.A.) Baronne Philippine de Rothschild”, a special form of partnership for holding of agricultural land. The G.F.A. is leased on a long-term lease to Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, which manages the estates and markets the wines. Chateau Mouton Rothschild is a member of Premum Familiea Vini (First Families of Wine) or PFV, an international association of eleven of the world’s leading family wine companies, each one an acknowledged leader in its region of production.
Nowadays’ Owner: G.F.A. Baronne Philippine de Rothschild

Technique Information
Location: Chateau Mouton Rothschild has a magnificently complete expanse of vineyard on the slopes leading down to the Gironde Estuary. Mouton Rothschild is to the northwest of Pauillac.
Appellation: Appellation Pauillac Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Lafite Rothschild (1st Growth of Pauillac in 1855)

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild (Second Label):
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 70%, 13-15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 16-18 °C
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential: 10-20 years.
Food match:
Western Food: Tasty abalone, grilled red meat, and tasty mushrooms. Grilled meat, chicken or ducked roasted and meat with red wine sauces. (Chateau recommendation); Beef, poultry, cheese, pasta with cream sauce, hearty stew, pizza, pork, veal, game. Best matched with roasted lamb or beef as well as Prime Steaks without sauce.

Aile d’Argent (Bordeaux White):
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 70%, 13-15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 10-13 ℃
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential:
Food match:
Asian, fish, cheese, vegetarian, pasta with cream sauce, green salad, shellfish.