Chateau Mouton Rothschild

First Growth Legend

The process of Chateau Mouton Rothschild becoming a First Growth is quite legendary. It is the last among the five major wineries to be ranked as a First Growth. when in the 1855 classification system, Mouton was only a second-class winery. It was not until 1922 that Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the grandson of Baron Natagnier who bought the winery at that time, took over and managed it permanently. After many years of hard work, , finally broke the precedent that had not changed for a century and was successfully upgraded to a first-class winery in 1973.

History

The only exceptional upgrade

Chateau Mouton has been associated with the Rothschild family since 1853. At that time, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild wanted to entertain guests with his own wine, so he purchased it. The predecessor of Chateau Mouton – Chateau Brane-Mouton (Chateau Brane-Mouton), was renamed “Chateau Mouton”. In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild officially took over Chateau Mouton. In the 1855 Bordeaux classification, Chateau Mouton was classified as a second growth. In order to further advance Mouton in the world's top winery, Baron Philippe was determined to seek a breakthrough, so he carried out various innovations in the winery.

In 1924, he pioneered self-bottling in the winery. This decision brought a revolutionary change to the wine industry and triggered many wineries around the world to follow suit. In 1926, he built a large 100-meter-long wine cellar to increase the winery’s wine storage capacity. In addition, Baron Philippe is also committed to closely linking Chateau Mouton with art. Since 1945, the winery has invited a contemporary artist almost every year to use his original artwork to draw a wine label for the first-name wine of Chateau Mouton. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of Baron Philippe, Chateau Mouton was finally promoted to First Growth in 1973, becoming the only winery to be upgraded so far in the 1855 classification system.

Vineyard

Chateau Mouton has 90 hectares of vineyards. The history of grape cultivation in the Medoc region can be traced back to the ancient Roman period. Today, the vineyard area is about 16,500 hectares. The grape fields are distributed in a narrow strip of 80 kilometers long and 5-10 kilometers wide, and are irrigated by the nearby Gironde River. It moistens the land and plays the role of reducing the temperature difference. The Landes Forest is located at its southern end, allowing the Medoc to fully enjoy the warmth of the maritime climate while ensuring that the warmth is moderate but not excessive.

The garden is planted with 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with a planting density of about 10,000 plants/hectare. The average age of the vines is 44 years. In addition, the park also contains 7 hectares of prime land for the production of high-quality white wine, with 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 43% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle. Muscadelle), with a planting density of 9,000 plants/ha.

Terroir

The "gravel" soil here is composed of pebbles and gravel, which can store the heat of the sun. It is mixed with sand and clay, making the soil conditions in the Medoc very poor, even unsuitable for farming - it can only be used to produce the most beautiful things in the world. Great wine! The barren gravelly soil extends several meters underground, beneath a layer of marl. It is from this land that the red wine produced is elegant, powerful, contains tannins and has aging potential.

The terrain here consists of a series of small round hills, with altitudes usually below 40 meters, separated by low-lying areas. The resulting slight slope facilitates natural drainage and sunlight enjoyment. Usually, the best vineyards are located on small hills, and the names of some famous vineyards are also related to this: "Mouton" comes from the word "motte" in Old French, which means a small hill; "Lafite" comes from the Old French word "hillside".

Winemaking

The winery will pick and sort the grapes manually, and the carefully selected grapes will be placed into the fermentation barrel through the moving tank by gravity alone. Therefore, from the time the grapes are harvested to the time they enter the fermentation barrel, the grape berries are not subject to any unnatural pressure or constraints and remain in a natural and pure state. After fermentation, the wine is moved to new oak barrels and matured for about 20 months. During the maturation process, depending on the circumstances, the wine can be rehydrated or suspended particles in the wine can be precipitated to clarify and stabilize the wine. In 2012, the new brewing workshop of Chateau Mouton was officially put into use, which integrates traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. The workshop is divided into two floors, upper and lower, connected by metal pillars. The workshop is equipped with oak barrels and stainless steel tanks of different sizes. These fermentation vessels correspond to different plots and varieties of the vineyard to achieve more optimized winemaking.

Wine and Art

Very collectible

Another talked-about innovation of Chateau Mouton Rothschild is the combination of wine labels and art. Since 1945 (except 1953 and 1977), each year has been designed by a different contemporary artist, including: Dali, Chagall and Picasso. Since Mouton means sheep, wine labels designed by many painters often feature sheep, and sheep are also Baron Philip's lucky gift.

Products

Mouton currently produces three wines: the first wine, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the second wine, Le Petit Mouton, and the top white wine "Aile d' Argent". Chateau Mouton is one of the few wineries in the Medoc that still uses oak barrels for fermentation. The fermentation time of Yijun wine is about 15-25 days, and the 100% new oak barrels are cultured for 19-22 months. Yijun's style of wine is full of heat, showing abundant ripe fruit, roasted and coffee aromas on the taste buds. It is a bit serious and closed-off when young.

The first vintage of Erjun Wine was 1993. The fruit was collected from younger grapevines. The same traditional brewing method was used to ferment the pulp in oak barrels.

Mouton's only white wine, "Silver Wing", is first fermented in stainless steel tanks. Halfway through the fermentation process, the Sauvignon Blanc and Chermillon are moved to small oak barrels (barrique) to complete the fermentation and continue. Aging: The ratio of oak barrels is about half and half between old and new barrels. The aging process is in contact with the lees, adding richness, extension and complexity to the wine body.

1855 Classified