CHATEAU TROPLONG MONDOT 1er Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion 2010 Bottle

Description

The 2010 Château Troplong Mondot has received outstanding acclaim, highlighted by a perfect 99 points from The Wine Advocate, which describes its deep, inky colour and rich bouquet of spring flowers, licorice, and graphite, along with a wealth of black fruit. This full-bodied wine exhibits a harmonious integration of acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, showcasing its power and nobility. James Suckling awarded it 97 points for its soft, round profile featuring plum and milk chocolate, with fresh, juicy notes and a need for aging. Vinous rated it 95 points, praising its alluring black raspberry and smoky flavours. Decanter and Wine Enthusiast both noted its intense richness and concentration, with hints of high alcohol, making this vintage a remarkable choice for collectors.

*****

Château Troplong Mondot is a prestigious estate located in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux, classified as a 1er Grand Cru Classé. Established in the 18th century, it spans approximately 33 hectares, predominantly planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes. The estate is renowned for producing rich, full-bodied wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region, characterised by clay and limestone soils. Château Troplong Mondot's wines are celebrated for their complexity, depth, and ability to age gracefully, often showcasing dark fruit flavours, spice, and elegant tannins. With a focus on sustainability and meticulous vineyard management, the estate consistently receives high accolades from critics, making it a highly sought-after choice for collectors and wine enthusiasts.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 99 points
Drink Date: 2018 - 2048
Inky, bluish/black/purple, with notes of spring flowers, licorice, camphor, graphite, and a boatload of blueberry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit, this is a powerful, full-bodied Troplong Mondot. All the building components of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol are judiciously and impressively integrated. It is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente with the consultancy help of Michel Rolland. I-m not sure what the heady alcohol level is in Troplong Mondot in 2010 (it certainly must be in the 15%+ range), but it is well-concealed behind the extravagant, richness, full-bodied power, and pure nobility of this majestic wine. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades. An absolutely stunning wine from this estate, which seems to be on a mission to produce exquisite world-class wines with enormous aging potential, the 2010 is showing better from bottle than it even did from barrel. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

JAMES SUCKLING 97 points
A soft and round red with plum and milk chocolate. Hazelnuts. Full-bodied and layered. Juicy. Hints of sea salt. Power is there. Turns firm and vivid. So attractive now. Savory. Needs three to four years to open. Drink after 2027.

VINOUS 95 points
Deep ruby. Knockout nose combines sexy black raspberry, smoky earth tones, dark chocolate and spices. Lush, dense, sweet and complete, with black fruit, cocoa powder and mineral flavors offering both full ripeness and a cool restraint. Really insinuating depth of flavor here. Finishes with powerful echoing black fruits and great focus and length, with substantial but ripe and perfectly integrated tannins. A great example of a late-ripening terroir in a long growing season without extreme heat. - Stephen Tanzer

DECANTER 92 points
Tasted by: Jane Anson
(at BI London, 30 Jan 2020)
Part of Bordeaux wine styles: 40 years of change
Drinking Window: 2020 - 2040
One of the wines that I was most excited about retasting, just to check in on how this older style of Troplong has aged. The fruit factor here centres on fig and prunes, it is impressive, broad shouldered, concentrated and full of exotic spicing. No one would say this won't make an impression on a table, but you feel the manipulation, it is far from effortless. Higher alcohol evident, in a way that is rare in this vintage that has everything turned up to the max, and frankly 16%abv is extremely hard to reconcile with the balance that most people look for in Bordeaux.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 92 points
Clocking in at 16%, this is a massive wine. Heady smoky wood aromas have given the wine a dry character. The immense palate has bitterness, extract and a solid core of tannins. It has considerable weight, just beginning to develop, although the alcohol does show through at the end. — Roger Voss