In 1853 a member of the great banking dynasty bought a Bordeaux vineyard simply so he could serve his own wine to his guests. He put his name on the label — and created a legend.
Every great estate has a founder, and for Château Mouton Rothschild it was Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild. A member of the English branch of the famous banking family, he made the purchase in 1853 that would, over the following century, become one of the most celebrated names in all of wine.[1]
A banker buys a vineyard
Baron Nathaniel — son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, founder of the London bank N M Rothschild — wanted a source of fine wine worthy of his table. In 1853 he bought the estate then known as Château Brane-Mouton, in the heart of the Médoc at Pauillac, paying over a million francs for its 65 acres of vines.[1] He promptly renamed it after himself: Château Mouton Rothschild.
A famous slight
His timing was fateful. Just two years later, in 1855, Bordeaux’s wines were ranked for the great Paris Exposition, and Mouton was placed as a Second Growth rather than a First.[1] It was a classification the family would never accept — and one that would define the estate’s ambitions for the next century.
He bought a vineyard for his own table — and left his descendants a hundred-year quest for a crown.
The legacy he left
Nathaniel died in 1870, and for decades afterward Mouton drifted, largely unattended.[1] It was not until 1922 that his great-grandson, the flamboyant Baron Philippe de Rothschild, took charge and transformed the estate — ultimately winning, in 1973, the First-Growth status Nathaniel’s purchase had always seemed to deserve.[1]
| Who | Baron of the English branch of the Rothschild dynasty[1] |
|---|---|
| What he did | Bought Château Brane-Mouton in 1853[1] |
| Renamed it | Château Mouton Rothschild, in Pauillac[1] |
| Legacy | Founded an estate his great-grandson would make legendary[1] |
Part of the Bordeaux story
Nathaniel founded the estate; Baron Philippe de Rothschild made it immortal. Read the wider history in the wines of Bordeaux.
Related reading: Baron Philippe de Rothschild · the wines of Bordeaux · the Wine History Timeline
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Château Mouton Rothschild?
Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, of the family’s English branch, who bought Château Brane-Mouton in Pauillac in 1853 and renamed it after himself.
Why was Mouton only a Second Growth?
When Bordeaux’s wines were ranked in the 1855 classification — two years after Nathaniel’s purchase — Mouton was placed as a Second Growth. The family never accepted it, and in 1973 Baron Philippe finally won its promotion to First Growth.
Sources
- “Château Mouton Rothschild” (Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild of the English branch bought Château Brane-Mouton in 1853 for its 65 acres in Pauillac and renamed it Mouton Rothschild; the 1855 Second-Growth classification; Nathaniel died 1870; his great-grandson Philippe revived it from 1922 and won First-Growth status in 1973), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_Mouton_Rothschild
Want to read more?
Books we drew on and recommend for going deeper on Bordeaux and wine history.
The World Atlas of WineHugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson
The Wine BibleKaren MacNeil
Judgment of ParisGeorge M. TaberAs an Amazon Associate, Wine History Tours earns from qualifying purchases. This supports our research at no extra cost to you.
