The 2003 Troplong Mondot was the winning bottle in the October Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The wine was decanted for an hour and served with Lamb and pine nut sausages.
Chateau Troplong-Mondot was elevated to one of the Premier Grand Crus of the St.-Emilion appellation in 2006. With almost 70 acres, the estate is one of the largest in St.-Emilion, on the right bank of the Gironde River. The chateau itself was built in the 18th century though it takes part of its name from Raymond Troplong, who acquired it in 1850. Today the estate is owned by the Valette family, which also owns Chateau Pavie, adjacent to the Troplong-Mondot estate. The vineyards are planted to 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Violet in color. 14% ABV. Ever so slight bricking at the edge of the glass. Stunning nose of red fruits, cassis liqueur, leather and graphite. Rich, plush and silky on the palate. Flavors of currants, cassis, kirsch and coffee. Exceptional length on the finish with pronounced fine grained tannins. Tremendous Bordeaux. Further affirmation for me that the top Chateaux made age worthy wines in the hot ’03 vintage. Best over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 94 points.
If you are looking for more recent vintages of Troplong Mondot give consideration to the 2016 which should be tremendous but will set you back about $150.
Thanks for the note Tom. How would you say the Troplong-Mondot compares to Pavie in profile. Sounds like the T-M is heavy Merlot like Pavie on its blend from what they grow. Cheers
It is a good comparison in recent vintages including the 03. I think the Troplong Mondot dials it back a little vis a vis Pavie but closer than most.