Château Troplong Mondot 2013

Of medium, fluid structure, which makes it more digestible than usual; spicy and fruity, with fresh, firm tannins; it also shows a certain pedigree and character. A year in which Troplong can play its cards. Delightful.

This has lively fruit, with blueberry, raspberry and plum coulis flavors stretching out over fresh acidity that carries the anise-tinged finish. Shows more purity than density in the end. Drink now through 2022. 5,000 cases made.

A dense and beautiful wine with blueberry, blackberry, mineral and spice aromas. Full to medium body, tight and powerful. Precise and exceptionally well made.

Tasted blind. Very dark. Sweet oak but not much else on the nose. Pretty aggressive tannins, chewy but just about holding the balance. Thick texture. Tough but could come round.

One of the better wines of this difficult vintage. Popped and poured, the wine is round, soft, and effortlessly delivers its medium-bodied profile with notes of licorice, espresso, black cherry, and earth on both the nose and palate. No decanting needed—just pop, pour, and enjoy.

This has a youthful, very intense ruby-red colour that really stains the glass. The nose is likewise very youthful and intense, pure, with quite a modern style. There’s a generous dose of oak, bringing slightly smoky notes and vanilla. Dark fruit, really ripe fruit such as plum and blackberry. Really nice bite on the palate. I like this combination of concentration and freshness. There’s plenty of lush fruit, those dark berry notes with some hints of chocolate. I find the oak very discreet, not too noticeable on the palate. It shows some roasted nuances on the finish. Above all, it’s lush and enjoyable fruit. It’s underpinned by plenty of tannins, quite grainy, quite fine, still showing their youth. They’re really vigorous and present, but overall the balance is good. The emphasis again is on the generous dark fruit. This is undoubtedly a young wine that should gain complexity with further ageing. I think the balance is there. There’s nothing hard or harsh. Good level of freshness, giving lift to that modern dark fruit. The oak is in place, really good length, good purity of fruit. A wine that should definitely evolve well. But for those who like this style of wine in its youth, twenty minutes in a decanter with a big piece of steak should do the trick.

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-garnet. Intense bouquet of wild berries, Amarena cherries, and coconut notes, underpinned by dark chocolate. On the palate, very aromatic, fleshy, with gripping, slightly grainy tannins, showing character. The tannin profile could come together if a bit more richness from the barrel is added. Unfortunately, this en primeur tasting at Troplong is tinged with sadness and deep respect, as the owner, Christine Valette, passed away during en primeur week after a long battle with cancer.

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core with lilac highlights at the rim. Intense bouquet of wild berries, Amarena cherries and coconut notes, underpinned by dark chocolate. On the palate, very aromatic and fleshy, with demanding, slightly grainy tannins and plenty of character. The tannin balance could come together if a bit more fat from the barrel is added. Sadly, this en primeur tasting at Troplong carries a certain sadness and great respect, as the owner, Christine Valette, passed away during primeurs week after a long battle with cancer.

(90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc) Lush, velvety, fruity bouquet; chocolate, black blackberries, mocha, tobacco. Velvety, medium-bodied palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, a plush structure, and a finely bitter finish. 17/20 2019 - 2032

Ripe ruby cherry colour, intense for the vintage, reflecting the natural power of the Troplong soils — and no doubt helped by the 100% new oak, plus malolactic fermentation in barrels (both 228l and 500l). The oak dominates and constricts, giving sandalwood and grilled tar notes that overpower because there isn’t the depth of fruit underneath. This is a 2013 that tries extremely hard to overshoot the vintage, but needed to change its winemaking formula to do so. Michel Rolland consultant.

The 2013 Troplong Mondot has a medium garnet color, with a touch of brick. It rolls out with mature notions of cherry cordial, dried cranberries, and black tea, followed by hints of aniseed, tobacco leaf, and dusty earth. The medium-bodied palate reveals an impressive concentration of flavors of bright red berry preserves, with a firm, grainy texture and a fragrant finish. Nicely done!

Sensual intensity with a welcome silkiness on the vintage.

The color is dark and the nose is oaky. The palate is dense, fairly tight, with lovely length.

Garnet red with purplish highlights. Pleasant, fruity bouquet marked by berry notes and élevage. Tasty, pleasant, approachable on the palate. The wine is juicy, easy-drinking, charming. Attack!

Dark, intense and beautiful color. Nose with ripe, truffled fruit. Caressing on the attack, the wine rises, very, very fruity in the mid-palate, juicy, flavorful, finishing long and very good. Pure pleasure. This is Troplong Mondot!

The 2013 Troplong Mondot has a fragrant nose: briary and light blackberry scents, tobacco and sous-bois. Not complex, but there is more presence than the Canon. The palate is medium-bodied with thick tannins. Good weight in the mouth, yet there is an apparent lack of tension and finesse. Again, this is rather monotone on the finish and runs out of ideas quickly. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year On tasting.

True to the estate's signature style, this is a powerful, luscious wine. It's ripe with plum and berry fruits, layered with dark, firm tannins. There is a juicy element as well as black-coffee flavors from the enthusiastic use of wood. Give it time to integrate properly and drink from 2022.