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Troplong Mondot 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Troplong Mondot

Label

Tasting Notes

It boasts an inky/purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of mocha, chocolate, blackberry and cassis fruit, an unctuous texture, a full-bodied, viscous mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like, multilayered finish. This spectacular wine is nearly overwhelming in its richness, thickness and intensity. Once all its baby fat falls away, the terroir characteristics and additional nuances will emerge. This blockbuster, fabulous Troplong Mondot will benefit from 10-15 years of cellaring and keep for three decades or more. It is not shy either, bouncing over the palate with 15.5% natural alcohol.

The 2009 Troplong Mondot will provide plenty of competition for the 2010, 2005 and 2000. It comes closest in style to the prodigious 1990 that proprietress Christine Valette produced 22 years ago. A phenomenal effort, it unquestionably justifies its relatively new Premier Grand Cru St.-Emilion status. Readers should keep in mind that the 1990, which probably has lower acidity and not the level of concentration found in the 2009, is drinking incredibly well at age 22 and reveals no signs of falling apart.

99
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

The 2009 Troplong-Mondot has a completely over the top, gregarious and raisin-like bouquet that frankly comes as no surprise given the philosophy of the estate at this time. The palate is sweet on the entry with candied black cherries, cassis and cough candy, unlike Bordeaux in some ways with a rather cloying and alcoholic finish. Now it seems like an anachronism. 2020 - 2032

90
Neal Martin, vinous.com, March 2019

A wine, with a lovely velvety tannin structure with dark berries and espresso. Full body. Chewy, yet soft and caressing. Very long finish. Concentrated yet balanced. Try after 2020.

96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2012

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Troplong Mondot bounds out of the glass with plum preserves, spice cake, mincemeat and potpourri scents plus suggestions of exotic spices, incense and a waft of balsamic. Full-bodied, super rich, concentrated and plushly textured, the hedonic fruit possesses loads of spicy layers and a very long and decadent finish. If you love wines you can stand a spoon up in, you're gonna go nuts over this extravagant beauty. 2019 - 2040.

96
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (241), March 2019

Some rawness on the nose. Then lots of sweetness - almost cocoa. Definitely not for classicists. Really quite painful!!

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

Since the late 1980's Christine Valette has consistently produced dense blockbuster Saint Emilions here. 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, malolactic fermentation and elevage all in new oak. Always a serious and powerful wine. Strong Michel Rolland influences here but this is the acceptable face of modern wine-making in Saint Emilion. Dense colour, sweet, modern yet refined. Lots of wood and tannin yet much more classically structured than the Pavie that we tasted 5 minutes earlier. Fantastic intensity. Very long finish. A big, bold wine.

95
Farr Vintners, April 2010

Pure perfection in a glass, the incredible 2009 Troplong Mondot offers off the chart notes of blackcurrants, licorice, truffles and saddle leather that just soar from the glass. This is a big, ripe, incredibly sexy wine that hits the palate with a huge texture, building, ripe tannin, no weight, and a finish that just won't quit. Utterly brilliant stuff, it's slightly more approachable than the 2005, but both of these vintages play in the same style. Drink bottles anytime over the coming two to three decades. Bravo! 2018 - 2048

100
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

The fleshy richness of black fruits gives lots of power on the nose and weight of flavour on the palate. The fleshiness is helped by ripe rounded tannins but under all of this lushness there is bright red fruit acidity balancing and giving brightness on the finish. Drink 2020-2040.

88/94
Derek Smedley MW, April 2010

The opposite end of the spectrum from Canon but huge personality. Blue-black colour. Rich and concentrated. Spicy, chocolaty, dark fruit aromas. Full-bodied and powerful but not over the top. Tannins quite refined. Drink 2018-2035.

18.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2010

Although this is very ripe and rich with a generous body and a slew of black fruit aromas it’s also elegant and poised. The bitter chocolate character is more restrained than in many modern-style Right Bank wines of this period and there's a lovely balance of lively acidity with fine dry tannins at the complex finish. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

96
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, March 2019
Read more tasting notes...

I tasted this wine four separate times, with three tastings extremely consistent, and one tasting showing slightly more noticeable and astringent tannin. Do I think it is going to be as prodigious as the 2005? No, but it is a compelling Troplong Mondot, and probably more approachable than the 2005 has been in its youth. This is a large vineyard, nearly 80 acres in size, and part of it had hail damage in May. They are late-harvesters, the Merlots were picked through October 10 and the Cabernet finished October 20, with very low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare, no doubt due at least in part to the hail damage. Alcohols on lots chosen for the grand vin are very high, between 14.5 and 15.5. The wine is inky purple in color, displaying beautiful creme de cassis, licorice, subtle smoke and graphite notes, enormous body, juicy, viscous texture, good vibrancy, a skycraper-like, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a whopping long finish of 40+ seconds. This is a great wine, probably more hedonistic and voluptuous than the 2005, but ultimately a tiny notch below that virtually perfect Troplong Mondot, which still gets my nod as the best ever made. This wine should evolve for at least 30-40 years. (Tasted four times.) Drink 2010-2050.

94/97
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

Tasted at the Saint Emilion UGC. The nose is far more restrained than usual, but well defined with pure blackberry, black plum and a touch of cedar. The lacks if vigour is a little vexing although a second sample at a negociant showed more "intention" and developed nicely in the glass. The palate is full-bodied with sinewy tannins, firm structure, grainy texture with cedar and graphite infused black fruits. Quite assertive, rather unsettled by the high alcohol and lacking its usual harmony, whilst the tannins have an angularity and astringency on the finish. This is a rather perplexing showing on both occasions I tasted this wine. Tasted March 2010.

86/88
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010

Intense aromas of blackberry and blueberry follow through to a full body, with well-integrated tannins and a fruity finish. Offers lots of licorice and spice. There's lovely length to this. Reserved and pretty.

94/97
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.