The 2012 label was designed by Spanish abstract artist Miquel Barceló who used the château’s emblem, the ram, as a highlight and focal point for the work. The label features a watercolour abstract representation of two rutting rams standing on their hind legs set against a muted background of a green pasture amidst a blue sky and white clouds.  

Considered one of the most influential living Spanish artists, born in Felanitx, Majorca, the 57-year-old has had his work exhibited at the Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Louvre. He also works in sculpture, drawing, ceramics and cast iron, in addition to painting.

One of his most noted works, is the Miquel Barceló decorated ceiling of the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room, used by the United Nations Human Rights Council, in the Palace of Nations in Geneva. The work of art is a massive sculptural installation in the domed ceiling, officially presented to the United Nations by the Spanish government. The chamber was inaugurated by the King and Queen of Spain, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the prime ministers of Spain and Turkey, and Swiss president Pascal Couchepin. The massive 16,000 ft ² (1,500 m²) project used 100 tons of paint, took a year to produce and cost $23 million.

Mouton Rothschild label and other artwork by Miquel Barcelo.

A former commodities broker, Koons was at one point the world’s most expensive living artist. In 1997, his work Puppy, a giant dog covered in bright flowers, was installed at the entrance to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. In 2008, 17 of his works were featured in an exhibition at the Château de Versailles.

Mouton Rothschild label and other artwork by Jeff Koons.

Mouton Rothschild has unveiled the label for its 2009 vintage - a design by British artist Anish Kapoor who was selected to design the label for Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2009 vintage release.

The dramatic label features contrasts of brilliant red against black, 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."

Kapoor, a sculptor, painter and visual artist is a British citizen of Indian origin. He was was born in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1954 and settled in England in 1972. His recent works include the giant sculpture, "Orbit", that towers over London's Olympic park.

The pre-release Mouton 2009 vintage has received top scores in the high 90s from all of the leading reviewers.

Label and other (on paper) works of art by Anish Kapoor.

Chinese Artist Xu Lei has designed the label for the 2008 vintage of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, a sign of the growing importance of the Chinese wine market.

Lei has restyled the traditional Mouton emblem with an ink drawing which shows the famous ram standing between two halves of the moon.

As soon as rumors circulated in late 2009 that a Chinese artist would design the prestigious Mouton label, the Chinese market responded. Prices immediately shot upwards from the starting base of £1800 per case to £2200, and now prices are at least £6,000 per case.

Mouton Rothschild label and other art by Xu Lei.

For its 2008 vintage, Mr. Xu has drawn a ram, Mouton Rothschild’s emblem, perched on a rock, the winery revealed yesterday.

Mr. Xu is the second Chinese artist chosen by Mouton Rothschild — the 1996 label was designed by Gu Gan, who is best known for his calligraphic painting. This time around, the choice of Mr. Xu comes as the swelling ranks of wealthy Chinese wine buyers are imposing themselves on the global wine market. Hong Kong is now the largest wine auction center in the world by dollar sales, surpassing New York and London — and Mouton Rothschild’s move follows a similar recent announcement from one of its main Bordeaux-producing rivals.

Just a few weeks ago, Château Lafite unveiled the bottle design for its 2008 vintage, revealing that it would have an embossed Chinese character “8,” a particularly auspicious figure in Chinese tradition. In the days following its announcement, Lafite — which is widely considered to be the favorite wine of rich Chinese buyers, and which entered into a joint venture with a Chinese winemaker earlier this year — saw the price of the yet-to-be-delivered bottles of 2008 vintage jump 17% in just 48 hours, according to Liv-ex, an online fine-wine exchange.

Prices have continued to rise since, according to Adam Bilbey, direct sales manager at fine-wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd in Hong Kong, to an overall 40% increase since the day of the announcement.

Mouton Rothschild’s announcement was somewhat expected. Wine website Decanter.com reported in September 2009 that the winery would choose a Chinese artist to design the label for its 2008 vintage.