Mondot 2020

Milk chocolate, violets, roses, lots of vibrant floral aromas with blue and red fruit. Super-fresh and vibrant, a crystalline and finessed aspect to the blueberry, red cherry and damson fruit while remaining quite fine in terms of texture. Focused, not so rich or plush, silky, with the limestone giving strictness but also precision, a sense of purity and salty, slate-like minerality alongside clove, cinnamon and liquorice. Mouthwatering acidity brings vibrancy and overall this is round, layered and well balanced with energy and focus. Consistent quality in 2020 with a touch of the Trolong shine and sparkle. Ageing: 60% one-year-old barrels, 40% stainless steel tank for 14 months. This is worth stocking up on.

All Merlot from limestone soils, brought up in a mix of once-used barrels and tank, the 2020 Château Troplong Mondot Mondot sports a dense ruby hue as well as a gorgeous bouquet of pure black cherries, smoked tobacco, chalky earth and hints of tobacco. This beauty is medium to full-bodied, has an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, and a great finish.

Silky, creamy, full, sweet bouquet of strawberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, mint. Fruity, mineral and full palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, good aromatics, long, fresh, slightly dry finish. 17/20 2026 - 2038

Love this wine, from a separate plot of vines to the main Troplong Mondot estate wine. It conveys real personality, majoring on blueberry, raspberry and redcurrant fruits, with a great whack of salinity on the finish. This really comes in strong on slate and salted tang, a delicious second wine with the punch and the power of Troplong but showcasing the finesse of limestone soils. Harvest September 5 to October 3. Not released En Primeur, just when in bottle. Aged in 60% neutral barrel, 40% in stainless steel. Beautiful spice here, real depth with extra creaminess as it has opened up since En Primeur.

Mondot 2020 is 100% Merlot, with 40% aged in tank and the rest in used barrels. It has a deep garnet-purple color and rolls out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of baked black plums, blackberry pie, and spiced raspberries, leading to touches of rose oil, dark chocolate, and crushed rocks. The medium- to full-bodied palate delivers amazing tension with very soft, velvety tannins and bags of juicy black and red berry flavors, finishing long and chalky.

Like the 2018, the 2020 certainly shows freshness, not only through its minerality but also its red-berry notes. Elegant and precise, the wine is perfectly supported by its structure and fine-grained tannins. A commanding wine, defined by both finesse and power.