Troplong Mondot is majestically placed on the high plateau. This is one of the most beautiful sights in Saint-Émilion.
Troplong Mondot has contributed wines of outstanding quality since the 1988 vintage. Christine Valette, one of Bordeaux's kindest, most hospitable, and gentlest proprietors, had been responsible for Troplong Mondot's rocketing quality. She sadly passed away on the 29th March 2014.
This property and its vineyard are majestically situated on a small hilltop outside Saint-Émilion town, reachable in a few minutes by car and app. 15-20 minutes of walk from the town's center. You can't miss it because of the water tower visible on the hill and adequate signposting.
Troplong Mondot covers around 33 ha of soil with a deep clay surface and limestones in the subsoil, planted with 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Franc; vines are on average 35 years old, and the wine matures in 75% new barrels for a period between 12 and 24 months.
Troplong Mondot changed hands in 2017. Aymeric de Gironde, the new technical director at the property since July 2017, arrived from Cos d'Estournel. As a consultant, he's appointed Thomas Duclos, a highly acclaimed oenologist at the Right Bank. Aymeric de Gironde is a man of strong views and determined to bring higher quality.
Troplong Mondot houses an excellent restaurant, Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot, which is worth dining at in its beautiful surroundings.
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Left - Aymeric de Gironde speaks about tasted wines. Right - spectacular new vinification cellar.
Troplong Mondot 2022 (barrel sample) 97p
Tasted in April 2023. 85% Merlot, 13% C. Sauvignon, and 2% C. Franc. 14.9% alcohol. 55% new oak. Hugely scaled, loads of creamy fruit and fat tannin, vibrant, great midpalate, strong backbone, long finish. Top wine in modern style.
Troplong Mondot 2020 96+p
Tasted in April 2023. It is as thrilling as 2019, with more finesse and subtlety. It seems to have less concentration and length than in 2019, but it all can change with aging!
Troplong Mondot 2019 98p
Tasted in November 2021. There is no malolactic fermentation in barrels. Compared to previous vintages, the style change is apparent here, and big concentration and heavy style are absent. There is freshness, incredible intensity, complexity, great midpalate, striking elegance and finesse, vibrancy, sophisticated touch, great acidity, length, and precision. It's a beautiful effort!
Troplong Mondot 2018 97-98p
Tasted twice - last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. 85% Merlot, 13% C. Sauvignon and 2% C. Franc. Only 15% of Grand Vin underwent malolactic fermentation in barrels. 2018 is the first vintage made 100% by the new technical director, Aymeric de Gironde. At Cos d'Estournel, he significantly made the wine less extracted and fresher and added more soil character. It seems the same has happened for Troplong Mondot, which was a real punch "in your face" beforehand. While tasted in January 2021, it offered an extraordinary nose of intense black cherries/blueberries, richness, seamless structure, grained tannin, and creamy berries on the palate. It was a sublime effort, oozing sheer class and sophisticated touch. I had the same impression when I tasted the property in November 2021.
Troplong Mondot 2017 95-96p
Tasted twice - last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. 85% Merlot, 13% C. Sauvignon, and 2% C. Franc. 60% new oak. Only 15% of Grand Vin underwent malolactic fermentation in barrels. It had an intense nose of black fruit and big, ripe tannin. It is very complex and has a long finish. It may be the most concentrated wine in Saint Emilion in this vintage.
Troplong Mondot 2016 (barrel sample) 96-97p
Tasted in April 2017. It drove at all cylinders, had a lot of oak, ripe fruit, and tannin, and was strong. The style here may not appeal to everybody, but it is an excellent wine.
Troplong Mondot 2015 (barrel sample) 96-97p
Tasted in April 2016. I tasted the 2015 barrel sample here just before dinner at Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot. It was a powerhouse of a wine with an enormous concentration of fruit and tannin, fatness, and chocolate flavor, which added extraordinary complexity, depth, and length. 96-97p. The degree of alcohol landed at a whole 15.5%, but I'm not worried. Vines at the property usually produce grapes with high alcohol. It's naturally made, will merge with fruit and tannin, and will disappear with time. We have often seen this (in vintages 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2010). Grape varieties in 2015 - 90% Merlot, 8% C Sauvignon and 2% C. Franc.
Troplong Mondot 2014 (barrel sample) 93p
Tasted in March 2015. This wine was very concentrated, tannic, and full-bodied, with fine acidity, sweet fruit, tannin, superb balance, and great length. It was a fine effort for the vintage.
Troplong Mondot 2013 (barrel sample) 91p
Tasted in April 2014. It had fruit on the verge of overripeness but enough freshness to balance the fruit. Fine structure, depth, and length, and this wine would have been better with more gentle winemaking.
Troplong Mondot 2012 (barrel sample) 92p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2014. Consistent notes. Very reminiscent of the 2013 vintage. Slightly more concentrated.
Troplong Mondot 2011 93p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2014. Consistent notes. This wine was concentrated and tannic, full-bodied, sweet fruit and tannin, superbly balanced, and of great length. It was a fine effort for the vintage.
Troplong Mondot 2010 95p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2013. Consistent notes. Very intense nose of black cherries/kirsch, you can feel the alcohol on the nose and palate, a hefty dose of new oak balanced by perfectly ripe fruit, evident modern style with a maximum of everything. It's a bit overdone. Long-time runner – I believe it'll start to soften in ten years.
Troplong Mondot 2009 (barrel sample) 93-94p
Tasted three times - last time in April 2011. Consistent notes. It is a powerful wine with a lot of oak and tannin, sweet fruit and fat tannin, and a long finish. Excellent stuff.
Troplong Mondot 2008 (barrel sample) 95p
Tasted twice - last time in October 2009. Not consistent notes. In April 2009, it was intense and concentrated but also very oaky and, therefore, very difficult to assess. It is much better half a year later - It reminds me a lot of the 2006 version but has better fruit ripeness.
Troplong Mondot 2007 92p
Tasted four times - last time in April 2011. Consistent notes. This wine was aromatic and round, showing silky fruit and silky tannins and finishing soft and tasty. Very seductive wine with delightful balance.
Troplong Mondot 2006 94p
Tasted five times - last time in April 2011. Consistent notes. It is a powerful wine with a strong backbone, concentrated, meaty black cherries, spicy black fruit, and a long aftertaste. Stupendous effort.
Troplong Mondot 2005 98-99p
Tasted four times - last time in April 2008. Consistent notes. I am trying to remember tasting such complete and fantastic wine from this property. Christine Valette has every reason to clap her hands! – her 2005 has a powerful aroma of dark berries, cocoa, and chocolate powder, is multidimensional, incredibly well-balanced, and has a rock-solid structure. Long-lasting and sensational wine. Wow!
Troplong Mondot 2004 (barrel sample) 91p
Tasted in April 2005. Christine Valette's proprietor delivered a wine again, reflecting her personality. Kind and strong simultaneously, packed with ripe, aromatic, and tasty berries. Stupendous wine.
Troplong Mondot 2003 94p
This wine was underperforming from the barrel in April 2004 but showed dramatic improvement when tasted in April 2006. Deep red, strong, tight with spicy blackcurrants and raspberries, delicate balance and depth. Fresh attitude without any sign of overmatured grapes and dry tannin. It's a great vintage for the property.
Troplong Mondot 2002 90p
Tasted twice - last time in August 2011. Consistent notes. Medium red. It seemed pretty closed when tasting, but you could feel potential. Give it time to develop; it will be full of charm, roundness, and tasty flavors.
Troplong Mondot 2001 95p
Tasted in April 2006. Black red. Incredibly aromatic with raspberries and cherries. Refined with pure elegance and finesse. A stunning sweetness of the fruit. This is a gorgeous vintage for the property.
Troplong Mondot 2000 97p
Tasted twice - last time in November 2011. Consistent notes. Very voluminous nose and palate - blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, and black cherries. The sumptuous sweetness of the fruit and perfect balance. Sophisticated and elegant, but simultaneously strong, powerful, and well-structured. In November 2011, it was very oaky, had an iron-strong structure, was deep, immensely concentrated (black/blueberry fruit), and was long. Many, many years ahead. Great bottle. It was rated 96p.
Troplong Mondot 1998 93p
Tasted in October 2006. Dark red. Strong and elegant simultaneously, with a delicate aroma and taste of dark berries and cherries. A full-bodied, harmonious, and very seductive wine. Fabulous quality. Magnum of exact wine tasted in August 2011 - the same rating as for regular-sized bottles.
Troplong Mondot 1990 99p
Tasted four times - last time in December 2016. Consistent notes. This wine is an extraordinary example of perfect, careful, and intelligent winemaking! Powerful with incredible concentration, stunning depth, and balance. It is incredibly long on the palate, with a long-lasting aftertaste. It is a killer wine, which is still highly youthful at 15 years of age, and I'm sure it can last for another 20-25 years. Tasted in December 2016 during a celebration of my 70th birthday, I toasted this wine with Olivier Bernard while honoring the memory of the late Christine Pariente, owner of Troplong Mondot, who died in March 2014.
Troplong Mondot 1950 94p
Tasted in December 2016. Despite the low stand of this wine (C), it was very lively and vigorous, like a well-trained 66-year-old guy running a marathon! It is very cherry, long, and in perfect balance. There are still many years to go.
