Château Troplong Mondot 2017

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.

Very fresh in feel, with silky textured plum, cassis and cherry flavors infused with rooibos tea, mineral and floral notes. The long, refined finish lets the pure fruit sing, while the minerally edge adds detail. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2021 through 2037.

Very perfumed and subtle with crushed currants, smoke and blackberries. Medium to full body. Compressed, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows focus and finesse with serious structure for the vintage. It grows slowly on the palate. Really beautiful. Drink after 2022.

"We had a few old demons hanging around," remarked estate manager Aymeric de Gironde, referencing the new regime at this revitalised property currently undergoing huge investment. The 2017 Troplong Mondot has a nicely detailed though not powerful bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, charcoal and light tertiary aromas, touches of peony developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and fine acidity. This does not possess the complexity or finesse of the top Saint-Émilion wines this vintage and there is a lick of dark chocolate on the finish that feels a little misplaced. Nonetheless, it represents a delicious Troplong Mondot that will give 15 to 18 years of drinking pleasure, though you can bet your bottom dollar this will be surpassed in years to come. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Licorice, smoke, black cherry, plum, and crushed rock define the nose. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, sweetly authentic, and luxuriously textured. There is more virtue in the fruit but less density and lower ABV than in previous vintages. The wine shows greater influence from limestone rather than clay. This dramatic change in style is a deliberate choice by the new director, Aymeric de Gironde, who is seeking more aromatic complexity and balance over power and ripeness. The wine was produced from a blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.2% ABV. Harvest took place from September 18 to September 27.

The 2017 Chateau Troplong Mondot continues in the new style of this estate and is based on 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc from healthy yields of 48 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by a stunning perfume of crème de cassis, black raspberries, white chocolate, crushed flowers, and a terrific sense of minerality. Flawlessly balanced, medium to full-bodied, and nicely concentrated, it shows the more elegant, classical style of the vintage beautifully. It has the texture and balance to drink brilliantly today yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 65% new barriques) Dense, velvety, finely mineral bouquet, Amarena cherries, blackberries, mint, slate. Fruity, full, balanced palate with a delicate saltiness, powerful sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, rich sweet aromatics, dense structure, long, aromatic finish. A completely new style from Troplong-Mondot, which I find much more appealing.

(85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 65% new barrique) Dense, silky, finely mineral bouquet, Amarena cherries, blackberries, mint, slate. Fruity, full-bodied, balanced palate with a subtle saline touch, powerful sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannins, intense sweet aromatics, dense structure, and a long, aromatic finish. A completely new style from Troplong-Mondot, which I like significantly better. 18/20 2024 - 2045

Even in 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 giving 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.

The 2017 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet color. It is a little closed and reduced to start before slowly unfurling to offer notes of redcurrant jelly, kirsch, and fresh blackberries, with nuances of charcoal, damp soil, and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is wonderfully bright and tightly knit, with vibrant, crunchy red and black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and great tension, finishing with epic length and energy. CEO Aymeric de Gironde arrived on the first day of the harvest in 2017.

Still marked by the power of the soil, the influence of a new orientation sets down clean, pure fruit—a fine picture whose power still rolls a little on the palate, while the tannin remains vibrant and precise on the finish.

sappy, racy wine, intense, balanced, juicy, lively, with round, integrated tannins and a beautiful acidic backbone.

In 2017, nature set the tone and challenged the winegrowers. Sorting then became necessary, not only in the vineyard, but also in the cellar, keeping certain lots and discarding others. The freshness of red berries and hints of licorice define the bouquet. Everything is measured, orchestrated methodically with precision and elegance. The wine is inviting, mouthwatering, and precise. It reminds us that before being a vintage, a wine is an identity, shaped by thought and action. Attentive listening and observation are even more valuable than reactivity.

Dark, intense and beautiful color. Moderately intense nose with ripe, spicy fruit. Finely pulpy on the attack, supple and melting on the mid-palate development, very pleasant, but discreet mid-palate, the wine finishes with a normal length.

The first year of what has been a major stylistic shift at the property, with a mix of evident changes—bringing the harvest date forward by two weeks for the first grapes—and behind-the-scenes adjustments, with lower fermentation temperatures and no more malolactic in barrel. Emphasis on blue fruit, liquorice, cocoa, and slate, with a mouthwatering finish that promises a long life ahead. Owned 100% by SCOR insurance company as of this vintage, after a shareholding that began in 2014. New director Aymeric de Gironde came over from Cos d'Estournel on the Left Bank and ushered in this more pared-back style (although even with earlier picking, alcohol levels are still high at Troplong, showing that terroir remains boss). 65% new oak for ageing. Very little affected by frost, giving a yield of 45hl/ha, 95% used for the grand vin.

This wine is structured, with dense tannins as well as impressively ripe black fruit. Showing lifted acidity, succulent blackberry flavors and elegance, it has a good future and will be ready from 2025.