Wat is me dat? Sinds de verkoop van Troplong Mondot in de lente van 2017 en de recente aankomst van Aymeric de Gironde (ex Pichon Baron en Cos d’Estournel) staan we voor een major shift. Na een voor Troplong vroege oogst (vanaf 18 september) en minder gebruik van nieuwe eik tijdens de élevage (van 100 naar 65%), slaat Troplong Mondot resoluut een nieuwe weg in naar méér verfijning, elegantie en evenwicht. Des te beter! Het eindresultaat blijft modern, rijp en rond, maar dit voortaan zonder overdaad. De onderliggende frisheid tilt Troplong Mondot naar een nieuwe stijl! Met een rendement van 44hl/ha weten we meteen dat de vorst deze zuidelijk georiënteerde helling niet bereikte. We zijn benieuwd naar de komende wijnjaren! Grote investeringen worden doorgevoerd en helaas moet het mooie restaurant ter plekke, Les Belles Perdrix, sluiten.
De wijngaard van Troplong Mondot omvat 33 hectare en is beplant met 85% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc en 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, wat opmerkelijk is in Saint Emilion.
IN DE PERS
91-93 Neal Martin – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Troplong Mondot, the first under the new regime of former Cos d’Estournel manager Aymeric de Gironde, has a gorgeous bouquet with well defined red and black fruit, hints of dark chocolate and crushed flowers, a subtle mineral undercurrent that becomes more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. This is a much fresher and balanced style of Troplong Mondot that tended to be over-egged in the past The terroir is much more evident where it counts – in the glass. There is a pleasant spiciness that comes through with aeration and a touch of sense of tension from start to finish. If this represents how this estate will continue, then the new era is going to be festooned with some exemplary wines. Drink 2022-2042.
98+ Antonio Galloni – vinous.com (Maart 2020)
The 2017 Troplong Mondot is stunning, just as it was en primeur. Rich and ample, yet endowed with striking energy as well, the 2017 is the first vintage made by new CEO Aymeric de Gironde and consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos. The 2017 takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. All of the power that is typical of this site is evident, it seems to come so naturally, and yet picking earlier and then using a lighter hand in the cellar yielded a Troplong of uncommon energy and vibrancy. The 2017 has been nothing short of thrilling on the four occasions I have tasted it from bottle so far. What a wine! Drink 2027-2047.
95-98 Antonio Galloni – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Troplong Mondot is easily one of the wines of the vintage. New CEO Aymeric de Gironde (formerly of Cos d’Estournel) and consulting oenologist Thomas Duclos are masterminding a remarkable new chapter in the life of Troplong Mondot. A major stylistic shift in the direction of freshness and energy has resulted in a positively stunning Troplong Mondot endowed with tremendous depth and vibrant. A rush of black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and spice builds as this gorgeous Saint-Émilion shows off its breeding and total class. The blend is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Jane Anson - Right bank wines of the year 2023
Even is a lighter-styled vintage like 2017, Troplong Mondot needs serious coaxing if you are looking at early drinking. This was an important vintage in the development of the estate, with the arrival of new owners and of director Aymeric de Gironde, and a move towards earlier harvests and less intensive extraction during fermentation. It's still pretty young but already showcasing stunning depths and nuance, with iris and peony floral character given lift to the muscular cassis and damson fruit. 65% new oak for ageing, Thomas Duclos consultant. Tasted a few times this year, and in the end its quality has placed it among the wines of the year - but definitely remember to give it a good number of hours in the carafe before drinking. Hold +3 years or carafe 5 hours.
96 Jane Anson – decanter.com (April 2018)
Aymeric de Gironde arrived here from Cos d'Estournel in September 2017, and he is clearly intending to make his mark. To get things started, they have brought the harvest dates forward (particularly on the Butte de Mondot, where drainage in recent years has stopped that clay mound being as cool as it once was). They have also stopped carrying out malolactic in new oak and brought the level of new oak down to 65% from 90%. They have a new consultant in the form of Thomas Duclos - this is surely his year - and carried out the blending before ageing in barrel, in a nod to Aymeric's left bank experience. Very little here was affected by the frost, giving a yield of 45hl/ha, 95% used for the grand vin. This is a terroir that doesn't need to be dressed up, as I have said several times in the past, and Aymeric is taking what had already begun under Xavier Parrente to the next level. This is one of the few wines to really make your heart race in 2017, with its blueberry and cool, black fruit notes with zippy minerality and a juicy, slightly saline finish. There is plenty of power, but it's contained, and the fruit is almost surprising in its purity and direction - it makes everyone around the table start talking. This is an extremely surprising 2017, one that I absolutely recommend without hesitation. Drink 2026-2040.
95 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – robertparker.com (Maart 2020)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Troplong Mondot is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to reveal expanding notions of warm blackberries, wild blueberries and licorice plus hints of smoked meats, black olives, pencil shavings and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed mouth-coating black fruits, exploding into loads of earthy sparks with a soft, velvety texture from ripe, rounded tannins. It finishes with spectacular freshness and loads of layers. Drink 2024-2050.
95-97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – robertparker.com (April 2018)
Troplong Mondot saw hardly any frost—less than 10%. The 2017 Troplong Mondot is blended of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers up a cedar chest, cinnamon stick and cloves-laced nose with a core of crème de cassis, blackberry compote and preserved plums plus wafts of licorice, violets and sandalwood. Full-bodied, concentrated and sporting a firm frame of velvety tannins, it has a lively line lifting the densely packed fruit, finishing long and on a compelling savory note.
95-96 James Suckling – jamessuckling.com (Maart 2018)
A bright and vivid red with dark-berry and plum character. Floral and bright. Medium to full body. Intense and crystal-clear. Ultra-fine tannins with a long and beautiful. Wonderful balance and harmony.
16,5/20 Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com (April 2018)
Black core with deep purple rim. Smells ripe, almost a little raisiny, rich in purple fruit. Firm tannins but it does have freshness on the finish. Chewy, dense, with the oak well integrated. Still in a very ripe style. Drink 2024-2032.
95 Jean-Marc Quarin – quarin.fr (April 2018)
91-94 James Molesworth – winespectator.com (Maart 2018)
16-16,5/20 Revue des Vins de France – rvf.com (April 2018)
92-94 Roger Voss – wineenthusiast.com (April 2018)
Troplong MondotTroplong Mondot kijkt uit over Saint Emilion en is er één van de grootste Châteaux met 43 hectare "d'un seul tenant". Het bezit un grand terroir argilo-calcaire (molasses calcaires de l'Agenais met 25 sous-terroirs, met ook silex en kalk. Die geologie zorgt voor fraîcheur, minéralité en verfijning. Chemische onkruidverdelgers, meststoffen of insecticides worden er geweerd.
In 1989 realiseerde eigenares Christine Valette een kwaliteitssprong naar krachtige, bijzonder intense en gestructureerde wijnen (sommigen noemen dit "blockbusters") en keek sindsdien niet meer om. De invloed van consulent Michel Rolland was niet gering. Vanaf 2006 werd Troplong Mondot dan ook vereerd met de titel van Premier Grand Cru Classé. Alexandre Valette, een wijnhandelaar uit Parijs, kocht het oude wijngoed van Mondot. Het bestond sinds de XVIIIde Eeuw en was genoemd naar de XIXde Eeuwse eigenaar Raymond Troplong. In die tijd werd het aanzien als de tweede beste wijn van Saint Emilion. Nadien was hij ook eigenaar van Pavie. Zijn achterkleindochter Christine volgde op in 1980 en werd tien jaar later vervoegd door haar echtgenoot, de antiquair Xavier Pariente. In 2014 overleed deze klassedame véél te vroeg en werd verkocht.
Sindsdien stelde de nieuwe eigenaar Aymeric de Gironde aan als dirigent. « J’y ai ressenti une ambiance particulière. J’y ai perçu ce sentiment de “Sense of Place”, comme formulé par nos amis anglo-saxons. Un sentiment diffus, une impression d’apaisement, comme si cet endroit était tel que nul autre et qu’il était juste LE bon endroit. ». De oriëntatie van de wijngaard doet veel: de horizon is eindeloos op dit hoogste punt van het plateau van Saint Emilion (110m) met enkel het middeleeuwse Saint Emilion als aandachtspunt. We vinden er ook een sterrenrestaurant Les Belles Perdrix en verfijnd gedecoreerde kamers.
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