Troplong Mondot 2017

Curls of woodsmoke and peony aromatics on the nose here, and slowly but surely you feel the limestone assert itself over the winemaking. This is still a big wine, concentrated and powerful, with cocoa bean, black cherry and sweet raspberry puree fruits, slightly at odds with a vintage that tends to be softer overall than the 2015 and 2016 - but it is excellent, sappy, stands out for all the right reasons. 60% new oak (so a significnaly lower amount than in previous vintages, although still with toasted and charred notes evident). This was the first year under new owners, with Aymeric de Gironde as director and Thomas Duclos consultant, and you can see the stylistic shift. 65% new oak for ageing. Very little affected by the frost that impacted St Emilion this year, with a yield of 45hl/ha, 95% of production used for the main wine.

Black core with deep purple rim. Smells ripe, almost a little raisiny, rich in purple fruit. Firm tannins but it does have freshness on the finish. Chewy, dense, with the oak well integrated. Still in a very ripe style. Drink 2024-2032

The fruit on the nose is sweet and ripe the palate has depth of flavour a rich mix of mainly black fruits. Brambles underpins and balances lighter at the back with richer sweet fruit giving breadth and depth on the finish.

There was only a small amount of frost here and Aymeric de Gironde, the new General Manager, has adopted a brand new (in fact very old) philosophy for this awesome estate atop the Mondot hill. The various plots, or climats, all receive equal attention and it is this collaborative feel which has brought harmony to this wine. There is vibrancy and positive energy contributing to this bright aura. The freshness and grip is invigorating and this is a remarkable debut for this property’s new lease of life. The restaurant is shut, the Château will be renovated and the winery will be changed, too. This wine is a signal of intent and it is very clear that Troplong’s ambitions appear very exciting indeed.

The 2017 Troplong Mondot, the first under the new regime of former Cos d’Estournel manager Aymeric de Gironde, has a gorgeous bouquet with well defined red and black fruit, hints of dark chocolate and crushed flowers, a subtle mineral undercurrent that becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This is a much fresher and balanced style of Troplong Mondot that tended to be over-egged in the past The terroir is much more evident where it counts – in the glass. There is a pleasant spiciness that comes through with aeration and a touch of sense of tension from start to finish. If this represents how this estate will continue, then the new era is going to be festooned with some exemplary wines. Drink 2022-2042.

A bright and vivid red with dark-berry and plum character. Floral and bright. Medium to full body. Intense and crystal-clear. Ultra-fine tannins with a long and beautiful. Wonderful balance and harmony.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Troplong Mondot is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to reveal expanding notions of warm blackberries, wild blueberries and licorice plus hints of smoked meats, black olives, pencil shavings and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed mouth-coating black fruits, exploding into loads of earthy sparks with a soft, velvety texture from ripe, rounded tannins. It finishes with spectacular freshness and loads of layers. 2024 - 2050

Troplong Mondot saw hardly any frost—less than 10%. The 2017 Troplong Mondot is blended of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers up a cedar chest, cinnamon stick and cloves-laced nose with a core of crème de cassis, blackberry compote and preserved plums plus wafts of licorice, violets and sandalwood. Full-bodied, concentrated and sporting a firm frame of velvety tannins, it has a lively line lifting the densely packed fruit, finishing long and on a compelling savory note.

Aymeric de Gironde arrived here from Cos d'Estournel in September 2017, and he is clearly intending to make his mark. To get things started, they have brought the harvest dates forward (particularly on the Butte de Mondot, where drainage in recent years has stopped that clay mound being as cool as it once was). They have also stopped carrying out malolactic in new oak and brought the level of new oak down to 65% from 90%. They have a new consultant in the form of Thomas Duclos - this is surely his year - and carried out the blending before ageing in barrel, in a nod to Aymeric's left bank experience. Very little here was affected by the frost, giving a yield of 45hl/ha, 95% used for the grand vin. This is a terroir that doesn't need to be dressed up, as I have said several times in the past, and Aymeric is taking what had already begun under Xavier Parrente to the next level. This is one of the few wines to really make your heart race in 2017, with its blueberry and cool, black fruit notes with zippy minerality and a juicy, slightly saline finish. There is plenty of power, but it's contained, and the fruit is almost surprising in its purity and direction - it makes everyone around the table start talking. This is an extremely surprising 2017, one that I absolutely recommend without hesitation.Drinking Window 2026 - 2040

Sure enough this wine shows a significant change in style for Troplong Mondot. The former consultant wine-maker has been replaced by Thomas Duclos who also consults at Canon. The harvest started here earlier than before and the proportion of new oak has been reduced to 65%. 36 hl/ha.