Chateau Troplong Mondot 2021

DECANTER: "Delicate and beguiling fragrance with a bright and shiny, sleek expression on the palate. Direct and focused with tangy red berry fruit, acidity on the high side giving an immediate buzz, supportive tannins that give density and structure but retain grace and elegance. A full and serious wine while still being streamlined and on the leaner flavour spectrum. Lots of texture and interest."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Spice, sandalwood and red-berry fruit aromas all come together to produce a fragrant, powerful and rich wine. Its tannins bring a firm structure to this dense wine. It is a luscious wine with a great future. Drink from 2028."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Troplong Mondot unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and plums mingled with violets, exotic spices and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, the wine is layered and complex, with all the depth and authority that one expects from this clay-driven terroir, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by sweet tannins and lively animating acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc with a remarkably low pH of 3.35, it's the first vintage produced in the estate's state-of-the-art new winery."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Elegant and refined nose with a classy touch of spices and mineral to the red currants and berries. Very sleek and linear on the palate with super polished, immaculate tannins and a very long finish. Not a powerful vintage for sure, but this is all about finesse and subtlety. Already drinkable, but can hold for a decade."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly emerges from the glass with notes of black cherries, juicy blackberries, and fresh black plums, giving way to nuances of licorice and tar, plus wafts of violets and cracked black pepper. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting the tight-knit, muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally. Should age beautifully!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Medium-bodied, vibrant, crisp, and focused on its mineral essences, the wine is upbeat with freshness, energy, lift, and precision. The red fruits are expressive, clean, and salty with accents of smoke, mint, spice, flowers, and espresso. This is a finesse driven wine that is going to show well on release. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2050."

WEINWISSER: "Mit deutlich dunklerem Farbkern als der Zweitwein Mondot benötigt der Grand Vin Troplong-Mondot zunächst etwas Luft, baut sich dann finessenreich und leichtfüßig im Geruchsbild auf und zeigt sich sehr differenziert und jugendlich. Die Nase braucht sicher noch einige Jahre in der Flasche, ehe sie sich vollends öffnet. Im Mund besitzt er sehr geradlinige, druckvolle Gerbstoffe, die mit einer fein mitschwingenden, roten, rassigen Fruchtkomponente verschmelzen. Alles ist der Klarheit und Rasse untergeordnet, sehr linear, in einem Strang strukturiert und lang. So ist der 2021er ein feiner, sehr kalkiger, mineralisch-salziger Troplong- Mondot, der in seinem jugendlichen Stadium noch nicht viel Fleisch hervorbringt. Doch das wird mit zunehmender Reife an Fülle und Saftigkeit gewinnen. Jetzt eher ein intellektuelles Unterfangen, sollte der Troplong in 5–10 Jahren eine pinothafte Eleganz und durchdringende, feingliedrig rote, frische Frucht entwickeln, die mit verführerischer Seidigkeit überzeugen wird. Momentan braucht man noch viel Fantasie. Denn nur die Gerbstoffe und das feinste Säurespiel zeugen heuer von großer Klasse."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Sehr floral im Duft, würzige Noten von Fenchelpollen, Kirschen in verschieden Reifegraden, kräuterige Aromen. Dichtes, feines, griffiges Tannin, kräftiger, aber gut eingebundener Alkohol, viel Saft und eine enorme taktile Mineralik. Säure und Körper gehen nahtlos ineinander über, der Wein verbindet eine gute Konzentration mit der jahrgangstypischen Eleganz."

JEB DUNNUCK: "A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Château Troplong Mondot was raised in 55% new oak, 21% in once-used, and the balance in foudre for 14 months. It's ruby, semi-opaque hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of smoky black raspberries, crunchy cherries, chalky minerality, rose, and spring flowers. It's medium-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and just a pretty, pure, seamless style. It clearly offers pleasure today but should be given 4-5 years, and it will evolve for two decades."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Mid ruby. Highly floral, with notes of cherry blossom and rose together with hints of sweet spice and riper red plum. The wood is measured – ever present but only supporting the fruit. Fine-grained and ripe tannins gently frame the fruit, which is lifted but intense. An airy, fleet-footed wine and another impressive showcase of the recent changes here. Sweet spices and hedgerow fruit on the finish. Very approachable, too."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Fresh, if a touch on the skinny side, with bitter cherry and pomegranate notes carried by a chalky structure, while savory accents dart around throughout. Pretty, silky finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2033. 10,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported."