Our story

Baron Philippe de Rothschild

A CREATIVE GENIUS & FOUNDER OF THE BRAND

In 1930, at just 28 years old, Baron Philippe de Rothschild revolutionised the Bordeaux wine trade by creating his own branded wine. His free and pioneering spirit was reflected in a modern wine, sourced from different terroirs. He called it Mouton Cadet, a nod to his status as owner of Château Mouton Rothschild and as the younger son (cadet in French) of the family.

In the 1950s, Baron Philippe de Rothschild got Mouton Cadet onto the wine lists of top restaurant-owners, who appreciated the wine for its constant quality. Its reputation soon spread beyond France with the launch of Mouton Cadet on the British market, then in the United States: a very French way of being international. For over sixty years, Baron Philippe de Rothschild played a key role both in the family saga and in promoting the image of Bordeaux abroad.

Baroness Philippine de Rothschild

A CHARISMATIC PERFECTIONIST

Baroness Philippine de Rothschild succeeded her father in 1988 and soon proved herself a formidable ambassador for Mouton Cadet and Bordeaux wines in general. Deeply cultured and a gifted story-teller, her charisma and energy worked wonders. As a warm-hearted and distinguished embodiment of the French art of living she was feted all over the world, just as she loved welcoming prominent people of all nationalities to her estates. Like her father before her, she devoted her enthusiasm to raising branded wine to new international heights.

Her other character traits included curiosity, constant questioning and the pursuit of perfection.

In 1993, she inaugurated the Mouton Cadet Winery at Saint-Laurent-Médoc, a modern, cutting-edge facility to keep pace with rising sales. She also created the Mouton Cadet Réserve range and added a white and a rosé to the Mouton Cadet range.

In 2004, she came up with an idea for a new logo: the stylish “Barbacchus”, a play on the words barbe (French for beard) and Bacchus. Having started life as a pencil sketch combining a ram’s head with a cluster of grapes, it has become the new Mouton Cadet identity.

Philippe Sereys de Rothschild

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Philippe Sereys de Rothschild succeeded his mother, Baroness Philippine, as head of the family company in September 2014. With his sister Camille Sereys de Rothschild and his brother Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, he is guiding Mouton Cadet into a new era.While preserving its leading position on the market, the aims are to go further in practices that respect the environment and people, to forge closer links with the winegrowing community, and to refine the taste profile of the different wines in the Collections so as to foster a sense of togetherness among younger people.

The enthusiasm never fades, creativity is constantly encouraged. Even beyond the family circle, successive generations describe themselves as “passers-on”, driven by a need to pass on their story, their know-how, a whole art of living – in a nutshell, a Bordeaux wine culture.