Monthly Archives: December 2023

- Wine Thoughts in the Winter

Besides terroir (the soil, the winemaker, the know-how), time is behind the magic we experience in a fine wine. For our Christmas selection, we wanted to showcase wines that have aged in the bottle for at least 5-8 years. Five years is normally considered short for a Left Bank Bordeaux to reach its peak, but for more approachable Right Bank wines, 5-8 years of aging often suffice to reveal how delightful the wine is. More aging is encouraged if you have the cellar space or patience to wait.

Horse racing is said to be a bet on the jockey as much as on the horse. Finding remarkable wine is the same. You look for terroir, but you also look for the talent behind the wine.

Among the top Bordeaux chateaux, Mouton Rothschild has a unique tradition.  Every year, it releases a newly commissioned artwork as its label for the vintage.  Part of this traces to the love of art by the owners of this prestigious producer, part of it is attributed to the idea of starting afresh each year with a blank slate (see comparison below: one without the artwork, and one with the newly unveiled label for 2021 vintage).

The label of the 2021 vintage of Château Mouton Rothschild features the artwork by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. She follows in the footsteps of Joan Miró, Andy Warhol and David Hockney in being invited to design the label for the latest vintage of Château Mouton Rothschild.

The owners of Château Mouton Rothschild, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, Camille Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, gave the commission to the Japanese artist, recognizing her talent in creating site-specific installations and sculptures that are so tactile and