Château Mouton Rothschild 2021

A First Growth from Pauillac, charming in its freshness and balance

The estate

It was in 1853 that Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild acquired Château Brane-Mouton at auction. The estate, located in the heart of the Médoc, in Pauillac, was then renamed Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took over the reins of the estate. A visionary, he decided in 1924 to initiate the complete bottling at the château while entrusting the illustration of the wine label to an artist. Each year since 1945, the label of Château Mouton Rothschild is adorned with the original work of a great contemporary artist. Dalí, César, Miró, Chagall, Warhol, Soulages, Bacon, Balthus, Tàpies, Koons, Doig... an exciting collection that grows each year with a new work and constitutes the famous exhibition "Art and the Label". An emblem of the Pauillac appellation, this First Growth shines a light on the great wines of Bordeaux around the world. Today, the three children of Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, preside over the destiny of Château Mouton Rothschild.

The vineyard

The Château Mouton Rothschild is a Pauillac wine from an 82-hectare vineyard located northwest of Bordeaux, in the Médoc. The vines, averaging 50 years old, are planted on pebbly gravel soils that capture heat and release it during the night, thus promoting the ripening of the grapes. These draining soils rest on a clay-gravel subsoil, giving the wines of Château Mouton Rothschild a unique power, elegance, and tannic structure.

The label

For the 2021 vintage, Château Mouton Rothschild entrusted its label to Chiharu Shiota, a Japanese artist of international renown. Inspired by her visit to the estate, she says she was deeply moved by the intimate relationship between man and nature expressed there. From this emotion was born a new work, Universe of Mouton, where a fragile human silhouette stands in front of a radiant and generous nature. The man, in the background and much smaller than his environment, seems to hold back a cloud, symbol of the delicate balance between humanity and its ecosystem. Poetic and full of meaning, this creation embodies both the exception of the 2021 vintage and Mouton Rothschild's ongoing commitment to unite art and wine.

The vintage

The mildness and winter humidity favor an early and homogeneous bud break. Particularly dry, the month of April is punctuated by episodes of frost that do not impact the vineyard thanks to its location near the Gironde estuary. Despite the coolness and rainfall in May, which slow down vegetative development, optimal flowering takes place under mild temperatures. If from mid-June to mid-July a strong mildew pressure, resulting from stormy instability, persists until the end of veraison, the dry climate of August sanitizes the vineyard and ensures a progressive ripening of the grapes. Harvested at optimal maturity, the healthy and concentrated grapes reveal a freshness, a balance and a structure echoing the great vintages of the last century.

Blend

Cabernet sauvignon (89%)
Merlot (10%)
Cabernet franc (1%).

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Mouton Rothschild 2021

Tasting

Color
Deep and intense, the color reveals subtle violet reflections.

Nose
Of great elegance, the nose blends fruity (blackberry, blackcurrant) and floral (iris) fragrances with notes of spices and cedar.

Palate
A delicious attack precedes a balanced palate with beautiful freshness. The palate combines flavors of bigarreau cherry with fine tannins, leading to a mineral, persistent and fruity finish.