Description

The elegance and aromatic finesse of an exceptional Premier Cru Classé from Pauillac
The property

Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild purchased Château Brane-Mouton at auction in 1853. The estate, located in the heart of the Médoc, in Pauillac, was later renamed Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild took the reins of the estate. In 1924 the far-sighted baron decided to begin bottling the entire wine in the château and to commission an artist to illustrate the label. Since 1945, every year the Château Mouton Rothschild label has been illustrated by the original work of a great contemporary artist. Dalí, César, Miró, Chagall, Warhol, Soulages, Bacon, Balthus, Tàpies, Koons, Doig... An exciting collection that grows every year with the addition of a new work and which constitutes the famous exhibition "Art and the Label". Emblematic of the Pauillac appellation, this Premier Cru Classé is a showcase for the great Bordeaux wines from around the world. Today, the three children of Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Camille and Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, guide the destiny of Château Mouton Rothschild.

The vineyard

Château Mouton Rothschild is a Pauillac wine made from an 82 hectare vineyard located northwest of Bordeaux, in the Médoc. The vines, with an average age of 50 years, are planted on gravelly soils which retain heat and then release it during the night, thus promoting the ripening of the grapes. These draining soils rest on a subsoil of clay and gravel, which gives these Pauillac wines their singular intensity, elegance and tannic structure.

The wine

Created by Scottish-born British artist Peter Doig, the 2020 Château Mouton Rothschild label depicts a personal dream about the nocturnal birth of a great wine, brought to life by the enchanting melody of a guitar. This work of art, in a dreamlike landscape, celebrates both the cultivation of grapes and the workers in the vineyards and fields, as depicted in the past by illustrious artists such as Millet, Van Gogh and Bacon.

The vintage

A very mild winter and early spring favor early sprouting of the vines. The snow at the end of March does not compromise the conditions of the vineyards. Spring is characterized by higher than normal temperatures and heavy rain, particularly at the beginning of May. From mid-May onwards, hot and dry anticyclonic conditions significantly accelerate the vegetative cycle, with flowering 12 days earlier than the usual cycle. June features mixed weather, while July is marked by heat waves and severe drought. The few rains in August activated the veraison and uniform development of the berries. The 2020 harvest is early and allows the fruit to be harvested when fully ripe and in perfect health. Despite the lower yields compared to recent years, the quality is exceptional and guarantees fresh, balanced and dense wines, which reveal fine but intense tannins.

Assembly

Cabernet sauvignon 84%
Merlot 13%
Cabernet Franco 2%
Small Verdot 1%

Characteristics and tasting advice of the Château Mouton Rothschild 2020
Tasting

Color
The wine shows off a dark and intense cherry red colour, adorned with garnet reflections.

Smell
On the nose it is elegant and complex, and reveals aromas of perfectly ripe black fruits. During tasting, fragrances of blackcurrant and anise combine with notes of graphite and blond tobacco.

Taste
Soft and full-bodied, the attack reveals fine and precise tannins that blend harmoniously with aromas of smoke and menthol and a mineral note. In the elegant and persistent finish you can recognize Cabernet Sauvignon, the château's flagship grape variety.