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The well-ventilated vineyards of Troplong Mondot overlooking the small town of St Emilion meant the estate escaped both frost and mildew, so 2021 represents a normal crop, with no loss of yield. A terrific blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, Troplong Mondot is another high profile property which benefitted from a brand new winery in 2021. A perfume of freshly picked roses, red cherry and Victoria plum. This fruit flows across the palate, the flavours are perfectly in harmony with the gentle sandy textured tannins, the lively acidity lifts and refreshes the palate with a refined backbone on the finish.
The well-ventilated vineyards of Troplong Mondot overlooking the small town of St Emilion meant the estate escaped both frost and mildew, so 2021 represents a normal crop, with no loss of yield. A terrific blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, Troplong Mondot is another high profile property which benefitted from a brand new winery in 2021. A perfume of freshly picked roses, red cherry and Victoria plum. This fruit flows across the palate, the flavours are perfectly in harmony with the gentle sandy textured tannins, the lively acidity lifts and refreshes the palate with a refined backbone on the finish.
Aymeric de Gironde, who without exaggeration has revolutionized this Saint-Émilion estate, told me that in 2021, the Troplong Mondot comes exclusively from the heart of the original vineyard, mainly on molasse soils. It was picked from September 17 to October 18, unusually finishing with the Merlot, and has 13.5% alcohol without any chaptalization or saignée. The focused blackberry, raspberry and iris petal scented nose is very delineated, yet more reserved than recent vintages. (A second sample at the château had a little more chutzpah.) The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly chalky tannins and a fine bead of acidity that imports liveliness and verticality. This Troplong-Mondot is imbued with a palpably mineral-driven finish. I am full of admiration for this cerebral wine, though I wager that it will need several years in bottle. Drink 2028 - 2044
The 2021 Troplong Mondot is shockingly raw and untamed, but in the very best sense of those terms. A wine of energy and pure power, the 2021 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, but it is certainly very impressive in the early going. The 2021 clocks in at 13.5%, which has not been seen here since the 1990s. The 2021 is not an easy wine to taste at this stage, as it is not fully formed. I won't be surprised if the 2021 turns out even better than this note suggests. It is a dazzling wine by any measure, and a far cry from the wines of decade ago, when the malolactic fermentations were often not finished when en primeur samples were presented! Superb. Drink 2031-2051
The 2021 Troplong Mondot shows considerable promise, exhibiting aromas of plums and wild berries mingled with notions of sweet spices, rose petals, vine smoke and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless palate endowed with impressive intensity and texture. Built around beautifully refined, powdery tannins and lively acids, it concludes with a long, mouthwateringly saline finish. Macerations here were long but gentle, including a long cold soak before fermentation, and the blend, after much deliberation, is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted four times.
It is a given that the Troplong sub-soil will provide structure and intensity in the wines from this distinguished property. But it is the diversity of the plots at this Château that brings in-built complexity. Add in a couple of percentage points of whole bunches chosen for their pinkish, ripe stems, and you have a fascinating cocktail of a wine. Every facet of 2021 Troplong is impressive, from the instantly pretty nose that segues into a lavish, deep-fruited mid-palate. There is balance throughout, and this results in a thoroughly civilised finish with refreshing tannins, crisp acidity and elevated fruit notes. This is a beautiful wine and one that will gather complexity and silkiness as it ages. There is a very bright future ahead for 2021 Troplong Mondot.
Deeply colored, the wine is rich, round, lush and fresh. Initially you notice, flowers, chocolate, truffle, espresso, cocoa, and black plums. There is a silkiness to the tannins, sweetness along with freshness on the palate, and a finish with black, blue and dark red fruits with a strong touch of chalk in the finish. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% ABV%, 3.44 pH. The harvest took place September 17 - October 19. The harvest date here was the key to the success of the wine here. Drink from 2025-2055.
The natural density that they have at Troplong was extremely helpful in a vintage like 2021. This is a little more reserved than a typical year, but very much delivers signature power. Expect gunsmoke, fern and raspberry leaf alongside cherry pit and saffron salinity, black cherry fruits, rosebud, anis, fennel spice, all with the powerful and concentrated signature of limestone. I was here on the last day of harvest, and I remember how healthy the grapes were. This is the first vintage where the cellar has been completely finished, moving from 20 to 42 tanks. No chaptilisation (but the natural 13.5%abv is extremely rare at this late ripening property, and a real indication of how long it took for sugars to climb in this vintage).
South of Pomerol lies the medieval, perched village of St Emilion. Surrounding St Emilion are vines that produce round, rich and often hedonistic wines. Despite a myriad of soil types, two main ones dominate - the gravelly, limestone slopes that delve down to the valley from the plateau and the valley itself which is comprised of limestone, gravel, clay and sand. Despite St Emilion's popularity today, it was not until the 1980s to early 1990s that attention was brought to this region. Robert Parker, the famous wine critic, began reviewing their Merlot-dominated wines and giving them hefty scores. The rest is history as they say. Similar to the Médoc, there is a classification system in place which dates from 1955 and outlines several levels of quality. These include its regional appellation of St Emilion, St Emilion Grand Cru, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé and St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into "A" (Ausone and Cheval Blanc) and "B" (including Angélus, Canon, Figeac and a handful of others). To ensure better accuracy, the classification is redone every 10 years enabling certain châteaux to be upgraded or downgraded depending on on the quality of their more recent vintages.
