Mouton Cadet blazes a trail with ‘new generation’ of easy-drinking Bordeaux wines
Bordeaux icon Mouton Cadet is looking to the future with a fair trade certification and a bold new trio of easy-drinking wines.
Mouton Cadet, a byword for iconic yet accessible Bordeaux wine, needs no introduction. The region’s most successful mainstream wine brand, it was launched in the 1930s by the visionary Baron Philippe de Rothschild, who helmed the company for more than 60 years. Under the charismatic leadership of his daughter, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild – a formidable and energetic ambassador for the brand – Mouton Cadet expanded exponentially, and today her son, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, oversees a brand selling 10m bottles in over 100 countries.
But consolidating its position in global markets has gone hand-in-hand with a greater emphasis on sustainability, eco-friendly practices and developing closer links to its winegrowing community.
In January, Mouton Cadet achieved Fair for Life accreditation for its best-selling red Bordeaux wine, which accounts for 65% of its volumes. This programme recognises fair trade and responsible supply chains in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, and trade, which means it protects the future, the terroir and the wine growers.
“It is not only about a fair price, but also a 360o approach looking after the sustainability engagement with full transparency to protect the future generation of winegrowers,” Véronique Hombroekx, branded wines director for Baron Philippe de Rothschild, told db at the time. In addition, 30% of the vineyards are either organic or undergoing conversion, and Mouton Cadet has slashed carbon emissions, moving to 100% renewable energy and installing solar panels that will produce 25% of its energy needs.
And, in looking to the future, the fourth generation is already making its mark with the launch of a trilogy of easy-drinking, fruit-forward, modern wines. The trio – Mouton Cadet Rosé x Mathilde, Mouton Cadet Blanc x Nathan and Mouton Cadet Rouge x Pierre – seek to combine the energy and creativity of the younger generation with the family’s long-standing expertise and tradition. The result is a contemporary, laid-back take on Bordeaux wines with eye-catching labels that allude to their fresh, easydrinking style. All three are also organic and vegan.
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Rosé x Mathilde is a rosé made from Merlot that uses direct pressing to give a light, tea-rose pink colour, freshness and fruit-forward aromas, while the palate’s redcurrant and raspberry flavours are lifted by fresh pink grapefruit notes, finishing on floral lily-of-the-valley and violet.
Described by the brand as having “freshness and radiance”, White x Nathan is made from grapes specially selected from 20 hectares of organic Sauvignon Blanc vines, grown on clay silt and clay-limestone soils. Devised by Nathan Sereys de Rothchild to be “a wine that takes wing like a great piece of music”, it has airy notes of citrus, hawthorn, jasmine blossom and apricot, with the aniseed of the mid-palate giving way to fresh, floral elegance.
Completing the trio, Red x Pierre is a “companionable” bright ruby Merlot with radiant fruit, light tannins and freshness. The grapes are vinified using an ultra-low temperature technique in order to retain the freshness of the fruit. Ideal chilled, paired with tapas, tuna ceviche or party food, the wine has a fresh and delicate attack of redcurrant, expanding in the mid-palate to strawberries and raspberries, with a touch of mint on the finish.
“The collection offers much more than just wines; it extends an invitation to live life in a modern way, free and bold,” Jérôme Aguirre, director oenology and Mouton Cadet Wines, said.
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