Château Mouton Rothschild is located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc, 30 miles north-west of Bordeaux. Known originally as Château Brane-Mouton it was renamed by Nathaniel de Rothschild in 1853 to Château Mouton Rothschild. It was the first estate to begin complete château bottling of the harvest.

The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was based on recent market prices for a vineyard's wines, with one exception: Château Mouton Rothschild. Despite the market prices for their vineyard's wines equalling that of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild was excluded from First Great Growth status, an act that Baron Philippe de Rothschild referred to as "the monstrous injustice". It is widely believed that the exception was made because the vineyard had recently been purchased by an Englishman and was no longer in French ownership.

In 1973, Mouton was elevated to "first growth" status after decades of intense lobbying by its powerful and influential owner, the only change in the original 1855 classification (excepting the 1856 addition of Château Cantemerle). This prompted a change of motto: previously, the motto of the wine was Premier ne puis, second ne daigne, Mouton suis. ("First, I cannot be. Second, I do not deign to be. Mouton I am."), and it was changed to Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change. ("First, I am. Second, I used to be. But Mouton does not change.")

A development instigated by Baron Philippe de Rothschild was to have each year's label designed by a famous artist of the day. In 1946, this became a permanent aspect of the Mouton image, with labels created by some of the world's great painters and sculptors. The popularity of the label images results in higher auction prices for older and more collectible years than the other first growths, whose labels do not change year to year.

Appellation: Pauillac
Areas under Vine: 84 hectares
Average Annual Production: 20,000 cases per annum Soil: Gravel topsoil, mixed with iron-rich sand and a clay, marl and limestone subsoil
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (77%), Merlot (12%), Cabernet Franc (9%), PetitVerdot (2%)
Ageing: In 100% new barrels over 23-24 months
Top Vintages: 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1986, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009