Château Mouton-Rothschild: Baron Philippe de Rothschild
Baron Philippe de Rothschild assumed control of Château Mouton-Rothschild in 1922; he had been evacuated to Mouton during the Great War, and clearly felt at home there, despite the absence of amenities we today take for granted, such as running water, electricity and roads. In truth he did not gain sole possession until 1947 when, upon the death of his father, he bought up the shares held by his brother and sister. Nevertheless it was under Philippe’s tenure, beginning with his arrival in the 1920s, that the great changes began at Château Mouton-Rothschild.
Philippe, like his father, was an engaging all-rounder who shared his passion for motor-racing, but also tried his hand at the theatre, poetry, sailing and even film production. But it was at Château Mouton-Rothschild that he found his true calling I think. During his 65 years he contributed to a revolution in winemaking in Bordeaux; one of his first actions was to change to domaine-bottling, rather than selling the wine in barrel, as was the norm not only here at Mouton-Rothschild but throughout the entire region. It was a massive undertaking; new buildings were required, and the architect Charles Siclis (1889 – 1942) was commissioned to design the new chai de première année, where the wine would be housed after fermentation but prior to bottling. It was also under during Philippe’s time that Le Petit Mouton – the little château at the heart of the estate – was surrounded by Le Grand Mouton, the buildings that wrap around the little house (pictured).
