Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1983 Trophy Wine Review

In the late 1700s, Amschel Meyer began creating his fortune while working as a merchant at “zum Roten Schild,” which eventually became the family name of Rothschild.

One of his sons wanted to own a chateau in Bordeaux. So Nathaniel de Rothschild decided to purchase Chateau Brane Mouton (which eventually became Mouton Rothschild).

Chateau Brane Mouton was named after Joseph de Brane, who bought the estate in 1720 from Nicolas-Alexandre de Segur. The de Segur family at one time owned not only Chateau Calon Segur, but also Brane Mouton, Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Joseph de Brane combined his last name with Mouton, (which is translated into a small hill) and named the winery Chateau Brane-Mouton

Nathan de Rothschild purchased Brane Mouton in 1853 and renamed it Chateau Mouton Rothschild (in 1868, James Rothschild purchased Chateau Lafite)

Baron Philippe Rothschild began to manage Chateau Mouton Rothschild in 1922 and made it his mission to earn the First Growth status for Mouton Rothschild. The Baron was the first Bordeaux owner to insist on bottling all his wine at their estate. He also started having artist-designed labels for the bottles beginning in 1945.

Château Mouton Rothschild became a First Growth wine in 1973.

In 1988, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the daughter of the Baron, took over control of the winery. Under her direction, the winery was renovated, which was completed in 2013.

Mouton Rothschild's vineyard is 83-hectare and is planted with 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The gravel soil is perfect for the growth of Cabernet Sauvignon. Picking is done entirely by hand. Chateau Mouton Rothschild is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for an average of 19 to 22 months. About 20,000 cases of Chateau Mouton Rothschild is produced each year.

The 1983 vintage is a blend of 75% Cab Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The winemaker at that time was Patrick Leon. The label artist is Saul Steinburg, a cartoonist who was famous for his themed cartoons of human solitude.

For more information about the winery, please see their website at https://www.chateau-mouton-rothschild...