Mouton Rothschild has unveiled the label for its 2009 vintage – designed by British artist Anish Kapoor.
Described by the chateau as "at once austere and flamboyant, the gouache he has created for Mouton Rothschild 2009 expresses the fertile thrust of plant life, the result of an intense encounter between matter and light."
Mouton 2009 has been universally acclaimed, with scores in the high 90s from all of the major critics. Nevertheless, it is curently trading somewhat below its London release price (£7,800 per 12x75cl) with a Liv-ex Best List price of £6,600. Liv-ex members can view live markets here.
The chateau has been commissioning contemporary artists to design the upper part of the label every year since 1945. And whilst the artists are not officially paid for their work, they are given cases of the First Growth for their efforts, including cases of "their" vintage. Kapoor joins a list of artists that includes Picasso, Dali, Miró, Warhol, Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and the Prince of Wales. Last year's label was designed by the Chinese artist Xu Lie.
The sculptor, painter and visual artist Anish Kapoor, a British citizen of Indian origin, was born in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1954. He settled in England in 1972 and was awarded the Turner prize in 1991. His recent work includes the giant sculpture, "Orbit", that towers over London's Olympic park. (Photo above by Phillipe Chancel.)
