Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Troplong Mondot
The 2012 is another truly great wine from Troplong Mondot. It’s always sentimental to taste this wine, realizing that proprietress Christine Valette (the larger-than-life heart and soul behind this estate) has passed away. She was one of the bright, shining stars of Bordeaux. Nevertheless, her legacy is certainly well-established, and the quality of this wine is beyond reproach. Inky bluish purple, its great notes of cassis, blackberry, licorice are followed by a full-bodied, opulently textured wine with stunning concentration, purity and overall balance. It should drink well for 20-25 years and turn out to be one of the great superstars of 2012. Their 63-acre vineyard was cropped at 31 hectoliters per hectare, producing a final blend of 90% Merlot and 10 Cabernet Sauvignon that achieved 14.2% alcohol.
The Grand Vin is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked between 9th and 23rd October. It has a very intense bouquet with lifted aromas of macerated dark cherries, blueberry jam and confit aromas. The palate is full-bodied with sumptuous black fruit, dense tannins but in my opinion, better balance than the 2010 and 2011. The alcohol is lower here, hovering around the high 13 percent mark, which render a better Troplong, whilst the citric edge keep everything focused. This is a very fine Saint Emilion. Tasted April 2013.
This is concentrated and impressive for the vintage with beautiful ripe fruit, minerals, chocolate and light-coffee character. Full body, polished tannins and a long finish. Better in 2018
Muscular and oak-driven, this is packed with vanilla bean, bitter black chocolate, spice box and grilled cedar, along with raspberry and blackberry fruits, and some fresher rose stem and wild peony notes that add grace to the power and punch of the architecture. It's impressive, confident, but lacks nuance for now - give it another five years. 31hl/h yield, 100% new oak, Michel Rolland consultant, overseeing an estate that had been Premier Grand Cru Classé since 2006.
Black as black. Intense, spiky fruit like elderberries. Intense, very ripe, a bit brash though the tannins are fully rounded. (JH)
The super-charged, super-concentrated wines of Troplong Mondot aren't to everyone's taste, but there's no denying their quality. Densely coloured and slightly cakey, this has masses of dark fruits and oak, a big tannic frame and a touch of over-ripeness. Fans will love it, detractors won't.
Drink: 2020-30
One of the superstars of the vintage, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as abundant notes of blueberry liqueur, graphite, truffles, acacia flowers and subtle toast. Full-bodied, opulent and already easy to drink, this large-scaled wine possesses high levels of tannin, but they are relatively well-concealed by the extravagant fruit, glycerin, texture and density of this compelling Troplong Mondot. This impressive wine may shut down after bottling and require 4-5 years of cellaring. It has the potential to last at least 15-20 years. Bravo!
From a 63-acre vineyard on the high plateau (called the Plateau of Mondot) adjacent to the famous limestone hillside, the Cote Pavie, the 2012 Troplong Mondot is another fabulous success. Cropped at 31 hectoliters per hectare with malolactic in barrel, this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon hit 14.2% natural alcohol. Three-fourths of the production went into the grand vin.
Rich and powerful yet velvety with polished tannins and a long finish. Full and impressive. Remains fresh despite slightly elevated alcohol.