“There is nothing else like it in the whole art world,” one well-known cultural figure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, made it clear. Those of us who drank Rothschild champagne at Château Mouton Rothschild celebrated The release of the winery’s 2022 vintage label was warmly welcomed. The ceremony of announcing the artist behind a new brand has a long association with art history. Since 1945, the Rothschild family branch of Chateau Mouton Rothschild has collaborated with a different artist every year, bringing together the most famous names to create labels for New Year’s wines. Pauillac, near Bordeaux, covers an area of dozens of hectares. This prestigious list includes some of the world’s most famous artists, including Dali, César, Miro, Chagall, Picasso and Warhol.
The label artist for the 2022 vintage released this year is Gérard Garouste. Standing next to his painting, Gallust told the Observer that to create the work he received “about a hundred” photographs of Baron Philippe de Rothschild – Philippe Serres · Baron de Rothschild, Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild and grandfather of Baron Camille de Rothschild – he used these as references from which he derived astonishing Similarities. King Philippe de Rothschild (Baron Philippe de Rothschild) came to the family’s Pauillac estate in 1922 at the age of 20, changed the fate of the winery, and devoted his life to the development of the winery. and success.
It’s worth noting that while the artist behind the vintage label may vary from year to year, the quality of the final product (both on the outside and inside of the bottle) certainly doesn’t. On the Brewer’s family crest, between two sturdy bronze rams, standing proudly on their hind legs, is a legend New changes in Moutontranslated into less elegant English as “Mouton unchanged”. Baron Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, CEO and Chairman of Château Mouton, spoke on the night of the wine label reveal. While praising the newly released 2022 vintage, he was enthusiastic He repeated this motto while thanking all those who helped during the year. “The harvest we have now is different from what you see on the walls,” the baron quipped, as diners turned to examine a medieval French tapestry depicting 13th-century villagers and nobles brewing wine outdoors in large wooden barrels. Grapes spilled over the surrounding lawn. Since Château Mouton made its first wine in the mid-nineteenth century, processes and techniques have changed, but it remains world-renowned.
(It also has a place in popular culture. In Agatha Christie’s The Labors of Hercules, Hercule Poirot drinks Chateau Mouton-Rothschild with Dr. Burton. Roald Dahl called it one of the greatest wines in the world in “The Butler”. Diamonds are foreverSean Connery’s Bond uses Mouton Rothschild 1955 to reveal the villain.
I had the opportunity to speak with Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, co-owner of Chateau Mouton Rothschild with his sibling Philippe Serres de Rothschild Together with Camille de Rothschild, de Baron worked closely with each artist from the day of the commission. Before working for the family business, Julian studied art history and then worked in art galleries and dealers, specializing in Old Master paintings. What makes a wine label eye-catching in terms of artwork? “People should be able to get information immediately,” Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild told the Observer. “But the most important feature is that it should arouse your curiosity: it should make you want to look closer, Feel Works of art and thinking about what the artist is saying.
Julian’s love of historical art does not hinder his deep appreciation of contemporary artists. Chiharu Shiota is the artist behind the Mouton Rothschild 2021 vintage, and his exhibition “The Restless Soul” is currently on at the Prague Kunsthalle. Olafur Eliasson, 2019. The winery’s label exhibition, on permanent display in the castle, includes memorabilia from each of the featured artists since 1945: a handwritten letter here, a candid photo there. Most strikingly, the exhibition includes many paintings and sketches by artists not normally shown to the public, the intimacy of which is unparalleled, many of which were preparatory sketches for the label. It was the late Baroness Philippe de Rothschild’s idea to reaffirm the connection between Mouton and art through a traveling exhibition that will travel to more than forty museums around the world.
See also: In two exhibitions, Myriam Yousif’s clay sculptures evoke Mesopotamian culture and divine femininity
I’m particularly interested in Lucian Freud’s (2006) label. Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild explained that Freud created the painting while he was keen on the Surrealist movement. This is why zebras depicted alongside potted palm trees have a “youthful, happy, childlike quality.” “It’s a lovely piece and a great label,” enthuses Julian. In this case, however, the painting was not made for Mouton. “The work already exists,” Julian explained to the Observer. “Freud, who was already very old at the time, decided to give the work to Château Mouton. We prefer artists to create a new work of art, but sometimes they – or their estate, if it’s posthumous – of – will donate an existing piece of art.
At the dinner where the 2022 Chateau Mouton Rothschild label was unveiled, I had the privilege of sitting next to Baron Philippe de Rothschild, CEO of Chateau Mouton Rothschild. When the topic turned to opera, we lamented the decline of audiences in the arts, with Philippe de Rothschild comparing the decline of young wine buyers to the decline of young opera-goers and art collectors. When asked if there were solutions, he asserted that in order to expose the next generation to wine, it would be necessary to change the product to suit their tastes. Red wine is less popular with younger buyers, who prefer white and rosé wines, and for the younger generation who do not know the correct time to drink wine, some guidance is necessary, for example, what time of day to drink the vintage Or what wine to pair it with. As for art and opera, we agreed that new presentations were necessary to eliminate the prejudices and stereotypes of both fields among new audiences.
As the evening drew to a close and the guests retired, the candlelit tables were covered with empty glasses and the eyes of medieval villagers watched from the tapestries on the walls. I think everyone will agree New changes in Mouton. If anything, Mouton is getting better and better.
