The 2001 Troplong Mondot was the winning bottle in the September installment of Pick My Next Bottle. In actuality the Troplong Mondot tied with Cos d’Estournel but yours truly was more excited to try the Troplong Mondot. I promise a Bottle Note on the Cos in the near future. The wine was decanted for an hour and served with steaks.
Chateau Troplong-Mondot was elevated to one of the Premier Grand Crus of the St.-Emilion appellation in 2006. With almost 70 acres, the estate is one of the largest in St.-Emilion, on the right bank of the Gironde River. The chateau itself was built in the 18th century though it takes part of its name from Raymond Troplong, who acquired it in 1850. Today the estate is owned by the Valette family, which also owns Chateau Pavie, adjacent to the Troplong-Mondot estate. The vineyards are planted to 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Purple in color. 13.5% ABV. Explosive nose of graphite, stone, smoke and black fruits. Medium body, yet voluptuous with great texture. Black cherry, currants, cassis, leather, tobacco and plums on the palate. Super silky, fine grained tannins. The wine tails off ever so slightly on the finish. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 92 points.
If you are looking for more recent vintages of Troplong Mondot give consideration to the 2008 which can be found for $85-$100.
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Some Bordeaux just aren’t performing up to expectations for the 2001 vintage (some pundits prefer the 2001 vintage over the 2000 vintage).
I’m not sure I follow. I really liked the Troplong Mondot. Especially at the $50 I paid for it years ago. Happy to have a few more bottles left although I recognize that they should probably be drank within the next 5 years.
In terms of quality the 2000 Bordeaux vintage far exceeds the 2001 vintage, in my opinion (with the exception of a handful of wines; e.g., Château Valandraud). That doesn’t mean I won’t buy lots of the 01s at the right price (e.g., 01 Troplong Mondot at $50 is an outstanding buy). I’m hoping the 2014 Bordeaux vintage produces some delightful wines at “reasonable” prices (the yields are suppose to be high).