Château Mouton-Rothschild

Mouton has few peers in the length and luster of its history. The famous Barons de Brane owned the already well known vineyard in the 18th and early 19th centuries when it was known as Chateau Brane-Mouton. It was purchased by Nathaniel de Rothschild of London in 1853 who renamed it to Château Mouton Rothschild, and is now owned by Philippine de Rothschild, his great-great granddaughter. Mouton always in the forefront of the greatest wines of Bordeaux, was the first estate to begin complete chateau-bottling of the harvest -- an historic step initiated in 1924 by the late Philippe de Rothschild. It is the only chateau in the Médoc Classification of 1855 to achieve reclassification. In 1973, it was finally moved from a second growth to a first. In 1926, he commissioned architect Charles Sicils to build the famous "Grand Chai". In 1962, Philippe de Rothschild created, with his wife Pauline, the Museum of Wine and Art", in which is displayed a priceless collection of exhibits relating to wine and the vine, from the dawn of civilization up to modern times.The vineyards are planted with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is mostly gravel on a subsoil of marl and clay. Vines are planted 8,000 to 10,000 per hectare. Under the direction of Hervé Berland, Mouton-Rothschild has positioned itself alongside the best wines of Bordeaux.