Until the middle of the 20th century, it was common practice in many European countries for most wine producers to sell wine in barrels to merchants for economic reasons. These then often bottled it far outside the region of production and also carried out the labelling (in the sense of the wine law as bottlers). This often led to unclean manipulations and wine adulteration. One of the pioneers who advocated producer bottling was the young Baron Philippe de Rothschild (1902-1988). Château Mouton-Rothschild was first bottled entirely at the château in 1927. According to an agreement, all Premier Crus followed suit, but Château Margaux only much later in the 1950s. A wine labelled "producer bottling" is not automatically of high quality, but it does suggest a quality-conscious producer. According to...
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