La Mondotte 2019

A blend of 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 La Mondotte is deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with notes of stewed plums, blueberry preserves, and Chinese five spice with hints of sandalwood and star anise. The full-bodied palate delivers mouth-filling, spicy black fruit preserves with a velvety texture and lifted finish.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 La Mondotte needs a little coaxing before bursting onto the scene with flamboyant scents of plum pudding, blueberry compote, blackberry pie and red roses. Further swirling reveals provocative, emerging notes of sandalwood, cracked black pepper, baker's chocolate, unsmoked cigars and crushed rocks plus a waft of black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in poise and sophistication, featuring the most exquisitely ripe, velvety tannins and amazing freshness, beautifully countering the intense blue and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length and loads of mineral sparks. Breathtaking!

The 2019 La Mondotte has a wonderful, pure bouquet of expressive black cherries, boysenberry, crushed violets and peony scents that flourish with aeration. Sensual yet succinctly controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very smooth and cohesive. This is not a deep La Mondotte, and you might quibble about a slightly brief aftertaste, though I suspect this is more due to tasting in winter. Give this 3–4 years in bottle and it will gain depth and persistence to become a very fine Saint-Émilion.

The 2019 La Mondotte was picked on 19 September to 7 October at 51hl/ha and matured in 70% new oak (this appears to be lowered since a decade or so ago when it regularly saw 100%.) It boasts and opulent, quite ravishing bouquet with red berry fruit, sage, cedar and hints of camphor imparting a light medicinal tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with fine and very lithe tannins that imbue this La Mondotte with a creamy texture. This is another Saint-Émilion without a hair out of place, very sensual and for want of a better word, almost nubile. The 70% new oak is an assiduous decision and allows the terroir to come through on the finish. Excellent. 2024 - 2050

Tight and linear red with blackberry, chocolate and fresh-mushroom character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tight, chewy tannins and an attractive, chocolate and bitter-citrus aftertaste. Love the lively acidity at the finish. Minerally.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 La Mondotte prances out of the glass with flamboyant notes of fruitcake, potpourri, mocha, and Chinese five spice scents with hints of licorice and scorched earth. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of grippy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the fragrant black fruit preserves layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.