2017 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Aile d'Argent

In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild buys the Château Brane-Mouton estate at auction because he wants to serve his own wine to his prestigious guests. The estate was located in Pauillac, in the heart of the Médoc, and would henceforth bear his name: Château Mouton Rothschild. In 1922, the estate came into the hands of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the great-grandson of Baron Nathaniel. 2 years later, he insists that all wine, which until then had been delivered in barrels to wine merchants in Bordeaux, be bottled in the castle. This decision meant that more storage space was needed. That is why the spectacular 100-meter Grand Chai (Great Barrel Hall), designed by the architect Charles Siclis, was built in 1926. In 1962 a museum was even opened on the estate. It was thus officially confirmed after a decree signed by Jacques Chirac, then Minister of Agriculture. Philippe's daughter, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, has taken over her father's estate and over the years has continued to modernize this beautiful family business. She has passed on her excellent dedication and working method to her 3 children, Camille Sereys de Rothschild, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais, who continue to manage the estates with the same ambition. This producer has 90 hectares of vineyard and was led by his daughter Baroness Philippine de Rothschild years after the death of her father Philippe. After the death of Philippine in 2014, son Philippe Sereys de Rothschild is ultimately responsible and the companies (in addition to Mouton, including Château Clerc Milon, Château d'Armailhac, Mouton Cadet, Opus One and Almaviva) are managed together with sister Camille and half-brother Julien. Second wine is called Petit Mouton and they produce a white wine called Aile d'Argent.

The vineyards of Château Mouton Rothschild are located northwest of Bordeaux, on the edge of the Medoc. The vines are planted on a narrow strip of land 80 km long and 5 to 10 km wide, close to the river, which moderates temperature differences. Bordering the northern border of the Landes forest, the Medoc benefits from the softness of its maritime climate while being protected at the same time. In 1855, the best 61 wines from the Haut-Médoc were qualified as 'Grand Cru Classé', again subdivided into 1st to 5th Cru. The selection was based on the prices paid for the wines since about 1750. The 1st cru includes Château Lafite, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion. In 1973, Château Mouton was added to these four.

Pauillac is located on the Gironde, north west of the city of Bordeaux. Pauillac (which holds 1,200ha) is one of the best wine regions in the Haut-Médoc and is located below Saint-Estèphe. The village has 3 Premier Grands Cru Classés: Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. A total of 18 Grand Cru Classés from Pauillac account for 80% of the vineyard area. The upper layer of this wine region consists of gravel, with a subsoil of clay and limestone.