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La Mondotte 2016

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

This super-cuvée is made by the Canon La Gaffelière team from 4.5 hectares of 60 year old vines - 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. The tiny vineyard is situated near to Troplong Mondot and Tertre Roteboeuf. It burst onto the scene at the height of the garage wine boom with a monster 1996. Annual production is usually less than 1000 cases.

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Label

Tasting Notes

Not far off the magical 2015, the 2016 La Mondotte comes from a tiny vineyard of clay and limestone soil located next to Pavie Decesse. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this behemoth boasts a deep purple color as well as a brilliant array of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, crushed rocks, and graphite. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, with liquid minerality emerging with time in the glass, this legendary Saint-Emilion in the making needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will keep for 3-4 decades. Drink 2024-2064.

98+
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, March 2019

The 2016 La Mondotte is open and generous on a nose of intense black cherries, boysenberry, tobacco and cedar. With aeration, this becomes more refined and loses its initial boisterousness. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and plenty of sumptuousness, although I find it a little curt and abrupt on the finish, where I am seeking more persistence. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. 2022 - 2035

92
Neal Martin, vinous.com, August 2020

There’s a vibrance and brilliance that gives this wine focus and energy. Medium body, ultra-fine tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Very fine.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2017

La Mondotte 2016 is deep garnet-colored. It slowly unfurls to reveal opulent scents of sandalwood, kirsch, blackberry preserves, and chocolate box, with hints of Sichuan pepper and tree bark. Medium-bodied the palate is chewy and lively with dried berry and floral layers, finishing earthy.

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

This super-cuvée is made by the Canon La Gaffelière team from 4.5 hectares of 60 year old vines - 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. The tiny vineyard is situated near to Troplong Mondot and Tertre Roteboeuf. It burst onto the scene at the height of the garage wine boom with a monster 1996. Annual production is usually less than 1000 cases. Glass-staining depth of colour, which follows with tar, cocoa, and damson on the nose. The palate is extremely concentrated, powerful and sappy in tannin structure. Tar, incense and figs, with a very smoky, dry and woody finish. This is a wine that will only appeal to lovers of the highly-extractive style of winemaking.

88
Farr Vintners, February 2017

Big fat blowsy the nose has rich fruit the start of the palate is fleshy but behind the sweetness the tannins are firm drying the back palate tight the finish firm dry and lacking length. It is lacks balance. 2025-37

84/88
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

Some of the Merlot vines used to make this famous organic red are more than 100 years’ old and it shows in the density and concentration of the wine. Very hard to taste young, it’s a monumental, powerful, richly upholstered blend with layers of firm tannin, stylish coffee bean oak and balancing acidity. 2026-38

93
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The 2016 La Mondotte was aged in 70% new oak for 17 months and bottled in May 2018. The nose flirts with overripeness, hints of canned prune tincturing the black fruit, but just pulls back from the brink. There is something slightly ripasso about it. The palate is medium-bodied, rounded and sumptuous in style, delivering lush tannin and black cherries and cassis fruit infused with marmalade and sloes. This is a luscious, luxurious La Mondotte, although I prefer the Canon-la-Gaffelière this year. Drink 2022-2035.

93
Neal Martin, vinous.com (Jan 2019), January 2019

The 2016 La Mondotte is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc this year, picked between 29 September and 15 October and matured in 70% new oak. The alcohol level is around 14.5%. It has a lucid purple hue in the glass. The bouquet is very perfumed, very pure with luscious red cherries, blueberry and a hint of sloes, the new oak discrete and allowing the terroir to shine through perhaps more than the 2015 last year. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, but underneath the bonnet, there is considerable tannic backbone that certainly can be felt more towards the finish that exerts a light grip. In a strange way, it reminds me a little of Château Canon! Give this 4-5 years once in bottle. Drink Date 2022 - 2050

93/95
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017
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.