CHÂTEAU TROPLONG MONDOT

The 2021 Troplong Mondot is shockingly raw and untamed, but in the very best sense of those terms. A wine of energy and pure power, the 2021 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, but it is certainly very impressive in the early going. The 2021 clocks in at 13.5%, which has not been seen here since the 1990s. The 2021 is not an easy wine to taste at this stage, as it is not fully formed. I won't be surprised if the 2021 turns out even better than this note suggests. It is a dazzling wine by any measure, and a far cry from the wines of decade ago, when the malolactic fermentations were often not finished when en primeur samples were presented! Superb. Drinking range: 2031 - 2051 Rating: 95-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2022)

85 Merlot, 13 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 Cabernet Franc | 60% new oak, 1 year old plus a couple of foudre they now have 6, so 12% of the blend | 47 hl/ha. It is a given that the Troplong sub-soil will provide structure and intensity in the wines from this distinguished property. But it is the diversity of the plots at this Château that brings in-built complexity. Add in a couple of percentage points of whole bunches chosen for their pinkish, ripe stems, and you have a fascinating cocktail of a wine. Every facet of 2021 Troplong is impressive, from the instantly pretty nose that segues into a lavish, deep-fruited mid-palate. There is balance throughout, and this results in a thoroughly civilised finish with refreshing tannins, crisp acidity and elevated fruit notes. This is a beautiful wine and one that will gather complexity and silkiness as it ages. There is a very bright future ahead for 2021 Troplong Mondot. Rating: 18.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2022)

The natural density that they have at Troplong was extremely helpful in a vintage like 2021. This is a little more reserved than a typical year, but very much delivers signature power. Expect gunsmoke, fern and raspberry leaf alongside cherry pit and saffron salinity, black cherry fruits, rosebud, anis, fennel spice, all with the powerful and concentrated signature of limestone. I was here on the last day of harvest, and I remember how healthy the grapes were. This is the first vintage where the cellar has been completely finished, moving from 20 to 42 tanks. No chaptilisation (but the natural 13.5%abv is extremely rare at this late ripening property, and a real indication of how long it took for sugars to climb in this vintage). Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)