The Rothschild family’s history is one of remarkable wealth and influence, highly synonymous with their long-standing prominence in European banking, philanthropy and the arts. With roots stretching back to the late 18th-century, the family persistently built their legacy by mastering the art of business, including the world of wineries.
When Philippe de Rothschild was just 20 years old in 1922, he took the reins of the Château Mouton Rothschild estate, which had been passed down by his great-grandfather, Baron Nathaniel. Two years later, Philippe spearheaded a decisive shift. He insisted that the wine—once transported in barrels to Bordeaux wine merchants—should now be bottled directly at the estate. That same year, he commissioned famous poster artist Jean Carlu to illustrate the vintage’s label. In a reign lasting more than six decades, Philippe’s leadership fundamentally reshaped the wine industry, taking the family château’s stature to new heights, and broadening its geographical reach and scope of operations.
Baron Philippe de Rothschild
Today, their varietal wines are enjoyed in many countries worldwide. Not long ago, Kinme Sashimi & Grill Bar in Bukit Damansara hosted a wine-tasting masterclass conducted by Cécile Wong (Wang Wenjia), Château Mouton Rothschild’s Asia brand ambassador and area manager. In the company of passionate wine lovers, seven wines were sampled, where each sip revealed a medley of latent qualities and undertones.
The session opened with the Domaine de Baronarques 2021, a blend dominated by Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, harvested at the estate’s typical time starting on 7 September. The wine’s appearance is an inviting pale yellow, with a complex and intense nose combining aromas of citrus fruit, preserved lemon zest, white blossoms, verbena, and brioche. Although it emerges as a brisk, lively burst, the wine leads to a voluptuous and full-bodied palate. The vintage then unfolds with traits of subtleties, including ripe fruit, honey, acacia blossom, and a light toastiness—all culminating in a remarkably long, mineral finish. It’s highly approachable and offers a multifaceted experience.
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The Domaine de Baronarques 2020 is a deeply coloured wine with a purple hue, offering an enticing nose of blackberry, bigarreau cherry, liquorice, sweet violet, and spice. On the palate, it emits a well-rounded impression, where the ripe fruit complements nicely with the mature, silky tannins, exhibiting great depth and balanced complexity. The aftertaste ends on a pure, mineral note, with lingering traces of dark chocolate and cocoa. Despite its elaborate profile, the wine remains modest in intensity—the alcohol content is subtly masked by the wine’s acidity, enlivening its cultivated nature. The first two wines were paired with an appetiser consisting of hotate aburi (scallop), tako su (octopus salad), and amela tomato.
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The Château d’Armailhac 2016 is a wine marked by the distinct climate conditions of the year, which began with a very wet winter and spring, followed by a dry summer and autumn, leading to a water deficit. This weather resulted in small, concentrated grapes that benefitted from high temperatures in August and September, allowing for slow ripening and peak maturity. In the vat house, each grape variety and plot were vinified separately to preserve their defining attributes. The resulting wine is deep and dark, with purple tints. A powerful and intricate nose presents an abundance of well-ripened fruit notes, then giving way to accents of roast coffee and blackberry. The full, dense attack flows into a mid-palate, carrying well-structured tannins, liquorice and oak. In a similar vein, the Château Clerc Milon is produced under the same climatic conditions, boasting a profound, near-black colour with a glistening edge. Both wines were paired with a tempura platter of jumbo shiitake mushrooms and chikuwa, a type of Japanese fish cake.
The 2016 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild—the second wine of Château Mouton Rothschild—is a dense and substantial vintage, comparable to the finest of the century. Harvested between 26 September and 14 October, the blend presents a dark carmine, red wine with a purplish tint, and an expressive nose that highlights black fruit, bilberry and a hint of cocoa bean. As a sub-brand of the estate, this wine is made from secondary grapes and is ready to drink. In contrast, the 2014 Château Mouton Rothschild is ideal for aging and is made from the finest grapes. The blend yields a refined nose of mature fruit, subtle spice, vanilla and a velvety onset of firm tannins. The opposing profiles of these two wines were paired with bubu arare ebi karaage (deep fried prawns with rice crackers).
Lastly, the 2021 Aile d’Argent Blanc. A fine white wine, it’s matured under conditions typical of northern latitudes—offering a return to the classical equilibrium of older vintages. The vintage presents a crystalline pale-yellow colour with a slight greenish hue. Its nose unveils aromas of white peach, topical fruits, citrus, and acacia blossom, enriched with strong mineral notes. The palate strikes a cohesive balance of fullness and tension, with tastes of chlorophyll, apricot, and flint. The mid-palate dances with vitality, ending on a lemon-tinged flourish. This was served alongside Iberico abanico sumiyaki, a melt-in-your-mouth charcoal-grilled pork shoulder.
For more information, visit Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s official website.
