Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Mouton Rothschild spans 90 hectares (222 acres) of vines to the north-west of Bordeaux, on the edge of the Médoc peninsula, itself situated, as its name indicates, in medio aquae, amid the waters: those of the Gironde estuary to the east and of the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Originally known as Château Brane-Mouton, its red wine was renamed by Nathaniel de Rothschild in 1853 to Château Mouton Rothschild. As in every great winegrowing region, the vagaries of geology and microclimate produce wines of different styles and quality, some of which have to content themselves with generic appellations: Médoc, Haut-Médoc or Bordeaux.

The elite are to be found within a handful of prestigious local appellations such as Margaux, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe. One of the most famous is certainly Pauillac, where the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, first planted there in the early 19th century, reaches its finest expression. The grand vin, Château Mouton Rothschild, is one of the world's most expensive and highly rated wines.