PARIS, 16 NOVEMBER 2022 – Art has always been central to the history of Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s family, and Château Mouton Rothschild has a long-standing and close link with leading contemporary artists. Each year since 1945 a leading artist has illustrated the Château Mouton Rothschild label, forming a collection that features the most famous names in modern and contemporary art. The prestigious list includes some of the most celebrated figures of their day, such as Dalí, César, Miró, Chagall, Picasso and Warhol. Ahead of the occasion of this year’s label reveal, Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA is teaming up with Sotheby’s, for an exceptional online auction of a unique lot of Château Mouton Rothschild 2020 vintage.
The lot includes an exclusive double magnum, the label of which will be signed by the artist and the family, six bottles, three magnums, an Imperial and the only Nebuchadnezzar released on the market to date. The Château will also invite the winning bidder and five guests to collect the lot in person from the estate, where they will enjoy a private tour and an exclusive lunch with one of Château’s owners.
All proceeds from the auction will raise funds for the firefighters of the Bordeaux region (SDIS 33, Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours from Gironde) to help them prevent fires with the best and fastest detection methods available.
Château Mouton Rothschild 2020 | Artist Label Reveal | The Unique Superlot, which carries an estimate of €30,000-200,000, will open for bidding on 23 November and close on 2 December at 7pm CET. The exclusive artwork and artist for this 2020 label will be revealed on 1 December at 10am CET, when the sale page for the auction on www.sothebys.com is updated with the new information and visual imagery.
Château Mouton Rothschild’s owners, Camille Sereys de Rothschild, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, said:
“In 2022, which promises to be a great vintage, parts of our region were ravaged by major wildfires. That is why, as we reveal the artist and the artwork created to illustrate the label of Château Mouton Rothschild 2020, we have decided, in partnership with Sotheby’s, to organise the sale by auction of an exceptional lot, the entire proceeds from which will be donated to the firefighters of the Gironde department. In doing so, we wish to add our voice to the universal expressions of gratitude and admiration they so richly deserve and support their work in a practical way, especially in terms of prevention.”
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits, said:
“The quality of the wines of Château Mouton Rothschild has never been higher, which is reflected by the increase in global demand. At the same time, Mouton Rothschild pioneered the practice of selecting artists and requesting them to create works of art that illustrate the labels. Each year, since 1945, this has added to the story about each vintage and to their allure to collectors. It is not unusual for wine lovers to pursue owning a complete set and this sale provides the first opportunity to acquire the newest vintage in this long and distinguished sequence. This lot also includes the ONLY opportunity to acquire a Nebuchadnezzar of 2020, as it is the only one that has been released from the Château.”
The Château Mouton Rothschild art labels have long been cherished by both wine collectors and art devotees. In 1924, to salute his first vintage bottled entirely at the Château, Baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988), asked the famous poster designer Jean Carlu to create the Mouton Rothschild label. Ahead of its time, it remained an isolated initiative until 1945, when – to celebrate the return of peace after the Second World War – Baron Philippe decided to crown the label for the vintage with the “V” for Victory, drawn by the young painter Philippe Jullian. The decision was propitious: not only has the 1945 vintage come to be revered as one of the finest in existence, it marked the start of a tradition.
All the artworks can be seen in the Paintings for the Labels exhibition, created by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild in 1981 and on permanent display at Château Mouton Rothschild since 2013. Enhanced by a new artwork each year, the exhibition reopened this year, finer than ever, following a refurbishment.
Mouton Rothschild’s owners, Camille Sereys de Rothschild, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, the latter now responsible for Château Mouton Rothschild’s artistic and cultural activity, have always respected the freedom of the chosen artists, though many of them have been attracted by themes such as the vine, the pleasure of drinking or the ram, the Mouton emblem.
