Location and Terroir
Château Mouton Rothschild is located in Pauillac in the Médoc, northwest of Bordeaux, near the Gironde estuary. The ocean-influenced climate is moderated by the Gironde, which also reduces temperature variations in the vineyard.
A large part of the vineyard is on the Plateau de Mouton, a hill rising to about 27 metres above sea level. The deep, gravelly soils consist of stones, pebbles, sand and some clay over a clay-limestone base. Pebbles and small stones store the sun’s warmth, while the sloping plots provide natural drainage.
Vineyard and Grape Varieties
The vineyard covers about 90 hectares. It is planted with approximately 10,000 vines per hectare; the average age of the vines is around 44 years. The planting comprises about 81 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 per cent Merlot, 3 per cent Cabernet Franc and 1 per cent Petit Verdot.
Cabernet Sauvignon shapes the estate’s red wines and stands for tannin, aroma, flavour and ripeness potential. Merlot contributes to smoothness and roundness.
Winemaking
The grapes are picked by hand into open baskets, de-stemmed and sorted by hand on vibrating sorting tables. They are then transferred by gravity into fermentation vessels sized by plot; most are made of oak wood and some of stainless steel. Maturation takes place for around 20 months in new oak barrels; documented cellar work includes topping up and fining with egg white.
Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild is the estate’s second wine and is produced from selected younger vines. It ferments in oak vessels and matures in oak barrels. The white wine Aile d'Argent is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle grown on sandy, gravelly soils; about 50 per cent matures in new oak barrels.
History
In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at an auction and renamed it Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild instructed that the wine be bottled at the estate and no longer delivered in barrels to traders in Bordeaux.
Since 1945, each vintage label has featured a reproduction of an original work of art created by a contemporary artist for Mouton. In 1973, Château Mouton Rothschild was promoted in the 1855 classification to Premier Cru Classé.
