Mouton Rothschild: The Wine

Château Mouton Rothschild is located in the commune of Pauillac, in the Médoc region, 50 km north-west of the city of Bordeaux. The Grand Vin is among the highest-rated and most expensive wines in the world and is generally considered the most exuberant and powerful of all Bordeaux wines.

In 1973, it was added to the ‘First Growths’ established in the 1855 Classification. The château began as Brane-Mouton and was among the best in Bordeaux during the 18th and early 19th centuries, although it suffered a decline in quality and price in the 1840s.

The Rothschild family bought (and renamed) the estate in 1853 and quickly restored its reputation, but not in time for the 1855 Classification of Médoc wines, in which Mouton was only classified as a second growth wine. Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut-Brion obtained Premier Cru Classé status.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild took control in 1922 and introduced Château bottling in 1924, which required the construction of the iconic barrel room. At the end of the Second World War, he also instigated the hiring of a different artist each year to design the label. But his greatest achievement was the promotion of Mouton in 1973 to the status of premier cru - the first change to the 1855 order.

Vineyard: Château Mouton Rothschild 2022 is a Pauillac wine from a vineyard located northwest of Bordeaux in the Médoc. The vines are planted in gravelly soils that retain heat and release it during the night, helping the grapes to ripen. These poor, well-drained soils sit on a subsoil of gravel and clay, which gives Château Mouton Rothschild wines their unique power, elegance and tannic structure.

The 2022 Vintage: The 2022 harvest was characterised by hot, dry weather, punctuated by periods of rain that recharged the soils. Despite extreme heat waves, the vines adapted thanks to their deep roots. Flowering began ten days early and the grapes ripened in perfect conditions. Harvesting began in early September and the grapes were picked with exceptional concentration and balance.

Vinification: After manual selection and destemming, the grapes are placed in open baskets that allow the bunches to remain intact. They are then carefully selected on vibrating tables. Those berries that pass this rigorous test are transferred to mobile barrels and then to fermentation barrels by gravity. The vats where the wine ferments are made of oak (40 vats) and stainless steel (20 vats) and are of different sizes, corresponding to different plots of the estate, facilitating the selection and blending of the wine.

Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (92%) Merlot (8%)