2024 Chateau Troplong Mondot Premier Grand Cru Classe B, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

The Grand Vin 2024 Château Troplong Mondot is deeper hued than the Mondot and is based on 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 55% new wood with portions in foudre and used barrels. It's a classic wine from this Château today that shows the focus on purity, precision, and elegance without being dilute or mid-weight. Black raspberries, spring flowers, spicy wood, and graphite all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, has a pure, seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It's one of the standouts in the vintage on the right bank.

The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a total stunner. As has been the case for some years now, the Grand Vin is blended before being barreled down, which means at the time of tasting en primeur, the wine has seen less wood than the vast majority of its peers. That lends this wine a certain raw energy that is impossible to miss. The purity and intensity of the flavors are simply remarkable. Troplong Mondot is one of the standouts of 2024. Even in this vintage, Troplong Mondot possesses remarkable textural presence, but that richness is matched by notable freshness and linear drive. It was deeply impressive on the two occasions I tasted it. Élevage is planned to be 55% in new oak, 26% in 20HL barrels and 19% in once-used barrels.

This has the Troplong terroir and intensity visually, immediately clear, with violets, squid ink, slate, roses, liquorice root. Love the chalky oyster shell salinity on the finish, delivers exceptional balance and lift, with interesting texture that is grippy with pumice stone tannins. No chaptilisation, because this is a location with natural density and you really see it here. Brilliantly silky, this has depth and yet is savoury, touch of whole cluster winemaking. 55% new oak, with 19% oak casks and the rest one year old.

A crunchy and vivid red with blackberry, black olive and walnut character. It’s medium- to full-bodied with medium-round tannins and a creamy, textured finish. I like the citrus and chalk undertones. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc.

The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a beauty, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries and licorice mingled with hints of violet and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, dense and deep, it's one of the more layered and muscular wines of the vintage, a quality this terroir seems to invariably deliver, with sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, expansive finish.

The 2024 Troplong Mondot was matured in 55% new oak, 26% in 20-hectolitre foudres and 19% in used barrels. It offers minerally, tightly wound black fruit, blueberry and light chalky scents. Very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant yet tensile tannins. Like the Mondot, it is peppery in style, pretty and sapid towards the finish. Not a huge amount of persistence, yet this is still a serious Saint-Émilion that could well end up at the top of my banded score.

85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. 35 hl/ha. Cask sample. Deep colour. Lots of fruit on the nose and palate. Really quite gourmand. Suave tannins that provide texture and length. Freshness but not biting. Chalky terroir finish. (JL)