Spotlight on Mouton Cadet

A Conversation with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild

By Sara d’Amato

The prominent Mouton Cadet brand has recently had an update to its portfolio, and it is perhaps their most creative new addition yet. These are not the wines your parents drank and that’s intentional. The three new wines – one red, one white, and one rosé were developed by the youngest generation of the wine producing family, the children and nephew of Philipp Sereys de Rothschild, with whom I sat down with recently to explore the new range.

There is no pretense surrounding Mouton Cadet as a large-scale commercial production. With over 12 million bottles of Mouton Cadet produced and sold in 100+ countries, Mouton Cadet is Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s most affordable, recognizable brand. There are few wine drinkers who haven’t been served a glass of the ubiquitous Mouton Cadet at some point in their lives, and here is how it got to you. The brand was founded in 1930 by Baron Philippe de Rothschild when he was 28 years old. His aim was to create a wine sourced from multiple terroirs with a modern and accessible appeal, contrary to the (let’s face it) rather stuffy and elitist wines available at the time from Bordeaux. The name is a construct of “Mouton” a nod to the Baron’s ownership of Château Mouton Rothschild, and “Cadet” meaning the younger son of the family. Over the next 20 years, the wine swelled in popularity and spilled over into countries outside of France including the UK, the US and even Canada. Yes, the Mouton Cadet brand has been on our shelves in Ontario since the 1950s. In 1988, the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild succeeded her father to become brand ambassador. Using her talents as a sketch artist, The Baroness’ was responsible for drawing up new logo, the “Barbacchus”, a ram’s head with a cluster of grapes that has become synonymous with Mouton Cadet. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild took the reins of the brand in 2014 and aims to preserve tradition while engaging a younger wine consumer.

The wine’s family history is important as it is a living history, and its contemporary generation is responsible for the new wave of products. Philippe Sereys de Rothschild enlisted the help of his children and his nephew saying that “I realized in talking to them that their concern regarding wine was completely different to my concern or to anybody’s concern in my generation, so I said, look, let’s not imagine what new generations want because we’re not going to get anywhere, let’s ask them”, and thus the new tri-coloured lineup was born. Working closely with Managing Director Véronique Hombroekx, along with lead winemakers Jérôme Aguirre and Ophelie Michaud, the company enlisted Mathilde, Nathan and Pierre, the younger members of the winemaking family, to provide insights and creative input on developing products tailored to a new generation of consumers.Yet despite significant efforts to attract younger crowds, Sereys de Rothschild says: “we don’t forget we have older consumers, and we have we have to take care of them. That’s part of our responsibility to take care of those that are already there [with us].”

Of these new additions to the portfolio, the “Blanc” is now available, and we will likely see the other two arrive in Ontario in the spring. Though crafted in the Bordelaise style with traditional Bordeaux grape varieties, these wines seek to deliver a distinctive experience that diverges from the conventional expectations of the region.

Mouton Cadet Blanc x Nathan: A white wine developed with a focus on freshness, fruitiness, and energy, reflecting the free-thinking, creative, music-loving personality of Sereys de Rothschild’s son Nathan. Based on sauvignon blanc, the core of white Bordeaux, the wine is emphatically aromatic. A white wine drinker, Nathan believes that “wine is not just about the wine” it’s about sharing special moments with friends and thus wanted to create a wine that spoke that sense of conviviality. The inclusivity created by organic and vegan certifications was a must.

Mouton Cadet Rosé x Mathilde: A unique Bordeaux rosé created through a meticulous process. The goal was to offer a more Atlantic-style rosé that would surprise consumers that may be used to a heavier, more deeply coloured cabernet-based rosés from Bordeaux. The first incarnation was scrapped because Mathilde and her team realized they needed to start the process early in the growing cycle to create a truly “intentional” rosé. Made from 100%, lightly pressed merlot, this pale rosé is brimming with summer berries.

Mouton Cadet Red x Pierre: A chilled, easy-drinking red wine designed to appeal to younger consumers who may find traditional Bordeaux reds too heavy or complex. As an alternative to a beer, Pierre wanted a wine that he could enjoy with friends without the necessity for food. This wine dispels the idea that Bordeaux reds must be “vin de garde”. A refreshing, ready-to-drink character and lower in alcohol than the norm were also traits espoused by the wine’s creator. 

There’s more to the story than the wines themselves as the wines showcase new directions and decisions made by the company. Showing a commitment to sustainability, Mouton Cadet has obtained HVE (High Environmental Value) certification across its product lines. The company has also partnered with the Fair for Life certification that aims to ensure that the wine growers they work with can maintain their livelihoods and traditions, while also adapting to evolving consumer preferences and environmental concerns. Preserving the winemaking know-how and preventing the disappearance of vineyards in the Bordeaux region is a key priority.

Mouton Cadet’s social sustainability approach is quite unique and is long engrained. It involves working closely with the wine growers, providing support and ensuring they can continue their activities with dignity and the ability to progress. What is surprising is the complexity in which it is made, involving a multitude of individual grower-producers. Seven lead winemakers oversee the Mouton Cadet project and there are over 150 grower-winemakers involved in the creation of the wines. In 2004, the company switched focus from basic négociant activity to a more hands-on approach to showcase the richness and individuality of Bordelaise producers.

Given the sheer enormity of their scale and the multi-generational history, a system of logistics was established to maintain quality and a like-minded vision of this new Bordelaise tapestry. The majority of the 1,500 hectares of vineyards maintained by BPR are in the Côtes de Bordeaux and Bordeaux appellations with much of the white derived from Entre-deux-Mers. This expansive portfolio of grower-winemakers allows Mouton Cadet’s team the benefit to pick and choose from a wealth of disparate producers and assemble wines according to brand identity. One of those seven BPR winemakers, Orphelie Loubersac, spoke to me recently of her role on the team and of the extraordinary effort that goes into producing a bottle of Mouton Cadet. She sees her job as part counsellor, part quality enforcer, and part holistic interpreter. No small feat even for this well entrenched Mouton Cadet winemaker with significant international experience.

Shifting from social considerations to environmental ones, with its significant network of grower-winemakers, Mouton Cadet should be able to lead by example and to create new standards. Given the fact that Bordelaise producers are beginning to investigate grape varieties like Marselen, and Touriga Nacional, while others dabble with clonal selection and experimentation with new viticultural methods to deal with the effects of climate change and warming, I wondered how that would affect the traditional identity of Bordeaux. To that end, Sereys de Rothschild prefers to take a more conservative, methodical approach to climate change than a reactionary one. The company is knee deep in research using AI technology to understand how current grape varieties are maturing in the vineyard under increased climatic strain. Although they are looking at use of other varieties, like pais, carignan, and carmenère, they are not ready to jump the gun just yet. He says, “we really want to understand how our main varietals, which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot react to this climate evolution. We want some perspective before we start adventuring into new varieties. Because when we start testing new varieties, it’s going to be a 10-15-year process.” At present, exploring terroir using new technologies such as captors, cameras, and satellites, is key to research development at Mouton Cadet. Keeping an eye on the ball, they are also investigating diverse vineyard practices and have even invested in a moisture-absorbing seaweed viticultural product.

And what about the identity of the future identity of Bordeaux I asked Philippe Sereys de Rothschild? “Bordeaux probably lost herself in volume, by planting a lot of vineyards and having too much to offer. Today we need to think about the future for winegrowers – having fair prices for them and paying attention to quality instead of paying attention to volume. This is a start. Having humility to look at the product, to listen to the consumer. And if Bordeaux doesn’t lose its soul, you will be able to enjoy Bordeaux for many, many more years. But respecting the people and the terroir is for sure something in Bordeaux, we need to reconsider.”

Santé!

Sara d’Amato