Château Troplong Mondot 2019

Particularly seductive on the nose, extremely fruity, with discreet spice; a smooth attack, a velvety‑silky development over tannins with a mineral edge that nicely balance the perceptible but non‑dominant alcohol, great fruity length; the shift in style toward a balanced terroir‑driven wine reaches an initial high point here.

A flicker of savory leads off, before being quickly absorbed into the core of juicy plum, blackberry and fig compote flavors. Long laces of alder, black tea and espresso crema wrap around the finish, where a hint of smoldering flint checks in before the fruit shows a final finishing kick. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 8,333 cases made.

The first vintage produced without malolactic fermentation in barrel, it’s all elegant, cool fruit in a linear, super-fine tannin style, with a supple, seductive texture.

The purity of fruit is pretty phenomenal here with blackcurrants, cherries and crushed-stone undertones. Floral notes of roses and violets, too. Full-bodied, yet this is a linear style with super fine tannins and great length and beauty. You really want to drink it. It grows on the palate and shows real power, with breadth and depth. Remains fresh throughout. Really something. Try after 2026.

The 2019 Troplong Mondot is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2019 dazzles with its magnificent balance. Inky red/purplish fruit, cinnamon, chocolate, dried flowers and lavender open with a bit of time, but Troplong is not a wine for the here and now, but rather a wine for readers who can be patient. The 2019 is all class and refinement. Those qualities become increasingly apparent over time, once some of the initial power and density subsides with air. This is the first time the Grand Vin was blended before the malolactic fermentation.

While it is the intensity of the floral bouquet you notice first, it doesn’t take long before discovering its nuances of licorice, black and red plums, dark cherries, cocoa, and a box of cooking spices. Full-bodied, deep, and concentrated, with vivid fruit character, silky tannins, and a finish that shows a chalky edge framing layers of sweet, ripe fruit that linger. Drink from 2026–2055.

The Grand Vin 2019 Château Troplong Mondot checks in as 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a pretty perfume of redcurrants, black cherries, spring flowers, damp earth, and candied violets. While harvested incredibly early, it pulls it off and is ripe, textured, and balanced, although it doesn't have the density or mid-palate of the top wines in the vintage. This elegant, complex, medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion is going to hit maturity in 7-8 years and have 20+ years of prime drinking.

Deep purple with a violet rim. Complex bouquet of wild cherries and beguiling violets. On the second nose, Alpine blueberries, perfumed pipe tobacco and lingonberry juice. The palate is complex, with a silky texture, supporting tannin framework, ripe extract and vibrant drive; this St.-Émilion delights with great finesse and depth. The finish is focused and powerful, with blue berries, verbena and a noble astringency. Once again this year, it clearly ranks among the top tier.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: Fresh, complex, sweet, floral, Burgundian bouquet—raspberries, cherries, mint, fine herbs, pralines. Balanced, dense, finely structured palate with fine, fresh fruit, varied sweet aromatics, fine tannins, concentrated structure, very long, fragrant, full finish with many lingering aromas. Can still improve.

Fresh, complex, sweet, floral, Burgundian bouquet with raspberries, cherries, mint, fine herbs, pralines. Balanced, dense and finely structured palate with fine, fresh fruit, a diverse, sweet aromatic profile, fine tannins, concentrated structure, a very long, fragrant, full finish with plenty of lingering aromas. Has room to improve. 18/20 2025 - 2048

A brilliant vintage at Troplong, displaying an enticing blend of power and restraint, or rather measured extraction and controlled power. This was a warm year with leisurely ripening where you could go all out, but here the team has captured the natural freshness of limestone, and it tiptoes rather than storms across the palate. It is huge, with ripe damson and black cherry flavours, cut through with slate, sage and bitter dark chocolate, all nuanced and characterful and just a wonderful poem to the stunning soils and potential of Troplong. For me it is the best of the flight. Improving from when I tasted it in bottle—and even then I was hugely impressed. 65% new oak and 35% one-year-old barrels, with trials in amphoras and larger 70hl oak casks. Harvest September 11 to October 5. Vibrant violet in colour, just excellent. 60% new oak, Thomas Duclos consultant.

A dense, ripe nose with a certain seriousness that then turns more hedonistic, showing aromas of dried fruits typical of the cru, cranberry and black cherry, wild blueberry, blood orange and dried flowers. On the palate, a silky, velvety, caressing texture; and while that ripe edge persists, it’s counterbalanced by a vertical vein of freshness. All in all, a wine one could describe as a compact sphere of dense dark fruit, wrapped in stony minerality and aromatic herbs, with a finely dense finish where richness and elegance vie for dominance in a mocha-colored undertow. A wine for patience… because you’ll need it!

2019 is increasingly shaping up to be a crowning achievement, a rebirth, the clear turning point initiated in 2017. A symbiosis between freshness and ripeness, between chalky and fruity nuances, between charm and rigor. On the palate, the wine stands out not for its opulence, but for its muscle, for its ability to reconcile power and precision with sapidity and sensuality. A brilliant, highly accomplished wine.

Dark, intense, and vibrant color. An intense, refined, pure nose with ripe, spicy fruit. Immediately delicate on entry, more floral than ever, meticulous in texture and constantly perfumed; the wine stretches out on the finish, tasty and delicately complex as it unfolds. Good length. Blend: 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 15% - pH: 3.55.

96–98. Barrel Sample. With its rich tannins and serious, concentrated structure, the wine is obviously set for a great future. The Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend offers structure as well as the fine line of blackberry flavors. Filled out with ripe Merlot, the wine shows richness with everything in balance.