Château Troplong-Mondot is one of the most beautiful properties of the appellation. The handsome castle was built in 1745 and it was once part of a sizeable estate that included what today are the Château Pavie vineyards. Since the late 1920s Château Troplong-Mondot was in the hands of the Valette family. In the 1980s it was Christine Valette who managed the estate and brought the quality up to the Premier-Grand-Cru Classé level.
Christine Valette passed away in 2014 and in 2017 the property was sold to the French Insurance Company SOCR. They hired Aymeric de Gironde – then managing director at Cos d’Estournet – to become managing director and he started a complete change in the vineyards, in harvesting ideology, and in vinification techniques. The château with 92 acres under vine is one of the largest estates in the Saint-Émilion appellation and sits on the highest point -300 feet- of the plateau east of the village of Saint-Émilion. The soil consists of a deep limestone deposit under layers of thick clay soil.
Château Troplong-Mondot is undergoing a major renovation. Thus, we could not visit the winemaking facilities but instead enjoyed a wonderful vineyard walk and tasting.
Château Troplong Mondot/ Wine-Searcher
Wine-Searcher: Château Troplong Mondot is a producer located on the hills of Saint-Émilion, on the right bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux. Typically for the region, Merlot is the dominant grape variety. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are also used in smaller proportions.
Troplong Mondot is classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the Saint-Émilion classification. This was most recently updated in 2012.
Under the previous owners, and their consultant winemaker Michel Rolland, the wine was known for its deep color, concentration and full bodied style. However in 2017 the estate was sold.
The new owners, the French Insurance group SOCR, brought in Aymeric de Gironde – formerly of Pichon Baron and Cos d'Estournel – to manage the estate, with new winemaking consultants. Many changes have been implemented.
Two neighboring vineyard parcels have been added. Six hectares (15 acres) were acquired from Clos Labarde and 4ha (10 acres) from Bellisle Mondot. Initially these will contribute to the second wine, Mondot. The pre existing vineyards cover 33 hectares (81.5 acres).
Soils are well draining limestone and clay, interspersed with chalk and flint. Troplong Mondot has a cooler climate, at a higher elevation, than most of Saint-Émillon. Under the previous owners it was one of the last to harvest grapes each year.
The fruit will now be picked earlier, and previous extraction techniques replaced by more traditional processes. The grand vin is matured in 60 percent new oak which is untoasted, to deliver a less overtly oaky style than before. Positive reports of the 2018 suggest the wine will become fresher with more mineral characters, while retaining a silky texture.
Château Troplong Mondot was established in the late 1800s when Raymond-Theodore Troplong bought and expanded the Mondot estate.
Aymeric de Gironde, Chief Executive Officer:
A few years ago, I came to Troplong Mondot, as a simple visitor.
I felt a unique atmosphere. I perceived this “Sense of Place” feeling, so well formulated by our Anglo-Saxon friends. A vague feeling, a soothing impression, as if this place wasn’t really quite like any other and that it was just THE right place.
Already, at the time, I felt as if I belonged here. Time has gone by. And I have come back.
Today, more than ever, Troplong Mondot reveals itself to me as a chance, a world apart, and its evocation relentlessly brings back a flood of thoughts and emotions.
This emotional dimension is specific to Troplong Mondot. It is both an inward retreat, made up of souvenirs and reflections, and an openness towards others based on sharing and empathy. It is what I would like to find here.
In the crazy era of the ephemeral and the immediate that is ours today, I invite you to take some time.
The time to invoke this “Sense of Place”, unique to Troplong Mondot. To reflect and exchange, like one would over a glass of wine. To stand tall, like Troplong Mondot on its hilltop, overlooking the view and stretching out across the horizon.
To question oneself and one’s surroundings. To challenge one’s ideas against those of others so as to find the truth.
To take a step back so as to alter our point of view and open ourselves to new perspectives.
Over a short break, whilst reading, eyes will cross to give a particular light to Troplong Mondot’s world. Each and every theme and encounter will reflect its spirit and will reveal its unique character, through the thousand facets that make up its personality. Whether deep or ephemeral, it will be a matter of encounters, discussions, interpretations and either intimate or universal reflections.
All in a way that I hope will allow emotions to emerge and that will open the doors of our world to you.
The world of Troplong Mondot.
Château Troplong Mondot
Twenty-five sub-terroirs, three grape varieties and altimeters that vary over several tens of metres
The highest point of the region, culminating at 110 metres
43 hectares altogether, one of the appellation’s largest vineyards
Merlot 85% – Cabernet Sauvignon 13% – Cabernet Franc 2%
A global environment designed over time
A dozen horses that roam up and down the vineyards between March and November
Sustainable soil valuation analyses by Lydia and Claude Bourguignon, since 2007
Preservation of the biodiversity for more than 20 years thanks to the hedges, the forests and the walls that shelter the fauna
A vineyard created in 1700, a château built in 1745
A surname: that of Raymond-Théodore Troplong who shaped the identity and the configuration of the estate and that of his nephew, Edouard, who added his surname onto the existing one, thus creating Troplong Mondot.
Charismatic figures, such as Christine Valette, embodied the freedom of spirit, the determination and the elegant generosity for which the property is still renowned.
An enduring commitment towards our environment, a respectful vision that has been thoroughly conveyed season after season, to prepare the future.
The Wines
2015 Château Troplong-Mondot Mondot US$35
2011 Château Troplong-Mondot Grand Vin US$97
2006 Château Troplong-Mondot Grand Vin US$83
"The brilliant 2011 Troplong Mondot is one of the superstars of the vintage. The final blend was 89% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, and the wine tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Its opaque blue/purple, nearly black color is followed by aromas of blueberry liqueur interwoven with black raspberries, blackberries, licorice, camphor and forest floor. Among the most complete wines of the vintage, with no hollowness, astringency or herbaceousness, this is a tour de force in a challenging vintage. Some tannins are noticeable, but this 2011 is already approachable and should provide delicious, complex drinking over the next two decades. Bravo!" 95 points Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2006 Troplong-Mondot is deep in color with minimal ageing on the rim. The bouquet is rich and generous with mulberry, Hoi Sin, orange blossom and melted tar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, generous black pepper and graphite notes cutting through the dense black fruit, leading to an engaging, tensile, graphite and tobacco-driven finish that exerts both body and length. It still has that slight stockiness, but that is something I like. I have always found much to admire in this vintage of Troplong-Mondot and it continues to give so much pleasure. 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (NM) (2/2017)
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
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