APPELLATION : PAUILLAC
Pauillac, where Cabernet Sauvignon first planted in the early 19th century reaches its finest expression, is home to three of Bordeaux’s five First Growths, among them Mouton Rothschild. The estate owes its name not to the animal but to the Old French word “mothon,” meaning mound, a reference to the deep gravel croupes whose pebbles retain the sun’s heat and enable the fruit to ripen with exceptional concentration. Classified as a Second Growth in 1855, Mouton fought for over a century to reach the top rank, finally achieved in 1973, the only revision ever made to the classification. The baron’s response became legendary: “Premier je suis, second je fus, Mouton ne change.”
GOOD TO KNOW
Since 1945, a major contemporary artist has created an original artwork for each Château Mouton Rothschild label each year. Among the contributors: Picasso, Chagall, Miró, Warhol and Hockney. The original canvases are displayed in the Museum of Wine in Art, inaugurated in 1962.