The Historic First Growth Elevation For over a century, the estate fought against what Baron Philippe de Rothschild called the "monstrous injustice" of the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, which originally ranked Mouton as a Second Growth. Following decades of intense lobbying, a special decree signed by Jacques Chirac (then Minister of Agriculture) officially elevated Mouton Rothschild to First Growth (Premier Cru Classé) status in 1973. This remains the only time the official 1855 classification has ever been altered. To celebrate, the estate permanently changed its famous bottle motto:

Old Motto: "Premier ne puis, second ne daigne, Mouton suis." (First I cannot be, second I do not deign to be, I am Mouton).

New 1973 Motto: "Premier je suis, second je fus, Mouton ne change." (First I am, second I was. Mouton never changes).