What are your selection criteria for a label artist?
The artist must be internationally known. However, it is not because the artist is famous that we choose them. They must speak to our artistic sensibilities, and not be subversive or polemical. This last point is extremely important – on the one hand, because our family does not appreciate creating controversies. On the other hand, Mouton is a marketed wine, which means we are subject to certain constraints. We like to choose artists who carry a unique perspective on the world and express fantasy through art.
Interestingly, the Prince of Wales illustrated the 2004 vintage.
The Prince of Wales is a talented painter. While the label is customarily dedicated to the vine and wine, it sometimes celebrates a historical event. The year 2004 marked the centenary of the Entente Cordiale between Great Britain and France. It was in this spirit that Baroness Philippine de Rothschild approached the Prince of Wales to illustrate the label for the 2004 vintage with one of his watercolours: Mediterranean Pines on Cap d'Antibes. The label is particularly unique, as the Prince of Wales gave us the honour of adding the following handwritten note to his piece: "To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – Charles, 2004".
