Château Mouton Rothschild: a century of art and wine at auction with Sotheby’s

On 4 February 2027, Sotheby’s will hold an auction in London featuring wines sourced directly from the cellars of Château Mouton Rothschild. Historic vintages, large formats and themed collections will celebrate the centenary of the label created by Jean Carlu for the 1924 vintage.

At Mouton Rothschild, vintages also tell a story of art. With the auction “Château Mouton Rothschild: Art and the Label — A Centenary Commemoration”, the estate and Sotheby’s invite collectors to explore this heritage through bottles preserved at the château. Estimated at £1.9–3.1 million (approximately €2.28–3.71 million; US$2.56–4.18 million), the sale will unfold in five chapters, bringing together contemporary art, family history and fine wine.

The story begins in 1924. Two years after taking charge of the estate, Baron Philippe de Rothschild had the entire harvest bottled at the château and commissioned poster artist Jean Carlu to design a label. This initiative gained fresh momentum in 1945, with the “V” for Victory drawn by Philippe Jullian. Artistic collaborations subsequently became an enduring part of Mouton’s identity. Georges Braque, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Andy Warhol and Pierre Soulages would all contribute to a collection enriched by successive generations.

The sale will bring together the 1924 and 2024 vintages, with the label for the latter due to be unveiled on 1 December 2026. Among the leading lots is a vertical collection of 77 bottles and one magnum, comprising selected vintages between these two dates. Its estimate is £150,000–300,000 (approximately €179,700–359,500; US$202,500–405,000). Large formats never previously offered for sale and several lots created especially for the occasion will complete this journey through the century. Another distinctive offering is a barrel of Mouton Rothschild 2025, equivalent to 300 bottles, estimated at £75,000–150,000 (approximately €89,900–179,700; US$101,200–202,500). The successful bidder will be able to choose the bottling formats from a selection offered by the estate. Featuring a personalised back label, the wines will be delivered from early 2028.

The artistic dialogue will continue through collections devoted to different movements. Pop Art will be represented by four magnums bearing labels by Andy Warhol for 1975, Saul Steinberg for 1983, Keith Haring for 1988 and David Hockney for 2014. The historical section will reach back to 1922, Baron Philippe’s first year at the estate, and include the celebrated 1945, estimated at £18,000–24,000 (approximately €21,600–28,800; US$24,300–32,400) for a single bottle.

The auction will also have a charitable dimension. Half the proceeds from a group of large-format bottles signed by artists and members of the Rothschild family will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières. Other lots will support the Musée Picasso in Paris, the Musée Soulages in Rodez, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Palace of Versailles. Finally, selected collections will include an invitation to the gala dinner at Mouton Rothschild on 12 June 2027, extending this meeting of wine, art and collectors to the château itself.