In 1924, Baron Philippe de Rothschild decided to start bottling his wine at the château, a rare feat in those days when most properties had their wine bottled at the wine merchant they worked with. To mark the occasion, he commissioned a special label with cubist and surrealist influences designed by Jean Carlu. This attempt was too avant-garde for the era, and he had to wait until 1945 for things to change.
The 2021 vintage unveiled
The 2021 bottle of the Pauillac premier grand cru classé has been adorned with a label designed by the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. The Universe of Mouton work of art was revealed at the start of December while the wine finishes maturing, ready to be released onto the market in 2024.
The 2021 label depicts a human silhouette connected to four lines leading to a suspended mass. It looks almost like the figure is holding on to balloons that have amassed to look like a bunch of grapes.
The lines “represent the four seasons and all the emotions linked to them, solitude, hope and accomplishment. It is like preserving the memory of the year in the wine. … Winter brings solitude and sadness, but the grains of hope are planted in spring and flourish in summer, while autumn reveals the results,” explained the artist.
A few of the great labels from the 20th century
1945: V de la Victoire placed on the label by Philippe Jullian
1947: The label is designed by Jean Cocteau
1955: Braque’s drinking pleasure
1958: Salvador Dali and the transgression of all artistic boundaries
1967: César proposes his “Mixed Work”
1969: The wittiness of Miro
1970: Chagall’s watercolour touch
And many others: Kandinsky, Picasso, Paul Delvaux, Francis Bacon, Niki de Saint Phalle, the list goes on!
Since 1981, this collection of artwork has been brought together to create the exhibition “Mouton Rothschild – Paintings for Labels” which was displayed in many museums around the world and now resides at the Château Mouton Rothschild itself.
