The weather for the vintage 1996 was very good, almost ideal. This Premier Cru Classé is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc harvested 27 September to 9 October. The 1996 vintage in Bordeaux is classified as legendary. 

This 1996 vintage label was designed featuring artwork of Chinese artist and calligrapher Gu Gan, author of The Three Steps of Modern Calligraphy, published in 1990. He is considered the forefather of the modern calligraphy movement. Gu Gan founded the Modernist School of Chinese Calligraphy and incorporated Western media into his works, blending painting and calligraphy.

Château Mouton-Rothschild’s exceptionally fine wine comes from the best vines on the ‘Plateau de Mouton’ that makes up 90 hectares of the property. In these vineyards, the roots push deep into gravelly soil. Since we’re in Pauillac, Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape that dominates the blend. Depending on the vintage, this can be up to 80%, and is completed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are picked by hand and, once destemmed, are put into vats. Each vat is a different size, and this corresponds to the Château’s different parcels. The wine is matured for around 20 months in the Médoc tradition, meaning in totally new casks, topped up and clarified using egg whites. This method stabilises the wine by taking the solid particles to the bottom of the cask. Most of the vintages offer opulence, richness and depth, enriched by a remarkable aromatic complexity that ranges from blackcurrants to roasted coffee, mint and delicate leather. One of Château Mouton-Rothschild’s specialities is its choice of a new artist every year for the creation of its label: some highlights have been Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Dali and Francis Bacon.

Château Mouton-Rothschild, which encompases 90 hectares (222 acres) in Pauillac was elevated from a 'Second-Growth' to a 'First-Growth in 1973—the only time in the history of the 1855 Classification that a winery's classified position was re-evaluated.