Tuesday 30 November 2010

Xu Lei unveiled as the latest Mouton Rothschild artist

Posted by Tom Jenkins, Bordeaux Buyer
The speculation is over; Mouton 2008 will indeed wear a label painted by a Chinese artist. He’s not exactly a household name, but Xu Lei’s profile is sure to rise amongst wine lovers if no-one else. According to the Chateau's press release, 'Xu Lei's ram asserts the role of a great wine as a link between people and cultures, from one hemisphere to the other of "planet wine"’. Presumably the eastern and western hemispheres...

Conjecture over the nationality of the latest Mouton artist started at the end of 2009 and the price has been rising steadily since. After the announcement, the 2008 has traded at £7800 per case on Liv-ex, some way behind the Lafite 2008 (£13,643/cs), but nevertheless, an enormous increase on its release price (£1750/cs).