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La Mondotte 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

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Label

Tasting Notes

Perfect, the 2009 La Mondotte boasts an inky/black/purple color as well as sumptuous notes of incense, graphite, licorice, black cherries, blackberries, cedar and forest floor. It is extraordinarily thick and voluptuous with a cool climate minerality that gives the wine an uplift and freshness that is surprising in view of its massive fruit level and high extract. The tannins are abundant, but sweet and well-integrated, as are the acidity, alcohol and wood components. An infant at present, this 2009 requires 6-8 years of cellaring and should keep for three decades

100
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

Tasted at Canon-la-Gaffeliere, cropped at 17hl/ha on 6th October and 13th October (Merlot and Cabernet Franc respectively), this is a blend of 80% and 20%. The La Mondotte '09 has a sensuous, opulent bouquet with ravishing red-berried fruits, black plum, cassis and a touch of fresh fig. The palate is medium-bodied with cashmere tannins, very harmonious with beautifully integrated oak, this 2009 actually reminds me of the sensational 2005. The minerality really comes through towards the finish. Vivacious. Tasted March 2010.

95/97
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010

Plum pie, with hints of espresso, blueberries and orange peel on the nose. Full body, with velvety tannins and a fruity finish. Wonderful depth of fruit and balance to this young wine. Perhaps the best ever from here. Try in 2018

100
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2012

Very thick and dark. Heavy and overripe tarry nose. So sweet and dense and overripe. No freshness. Pink Edinburgh rock - too sweet. Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2015-2025.

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

This is grace and power, delivering stunning Lapsang souchong tea and pain d'épices aromatics, followed by incredibly lush, yet refined blackberry, steeped black currant and dark plum sauce flavors. The long, velvety finish hangs perfectly, with buried minerality giving just the crease for definition. Best from 2015 through 2030.-J.M.

96
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Insider (Vol 8, 3), January 2011

Exudes power. Big and bold on the palate. Rich, luxurious fruit. Forceful tannins but ripe and smooth. Good acidity provides balance. Limestone terroir freshness on the finish. Drink 2018-2028.

18
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2010
Read more tasting notes...

This nearly 12-acre parcel on the clay and limestone plateau above Pavie Decesse has produced a killer succession of wines ever since the debut vintage of 1996. The 2000, tasted in preparation for a big article on that vintage, is just out of this world, as is the 1998, and remarkably, a very underrated wine, the 1997. The 2009 looks like another phenomenal effort. Is it better than 2005, 2000, or 1998? It's too early to tell. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine tips the scales at an all-time high of 14.5% alcohol. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt, who makes this wine for Stephan von Neipperg, said the crop yields were 18 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is painfully rich, but at the same time retains an extraordinary elegance and freshness. A full-bodied wine with plenty of raspberries, red and black currants, and a cool minerality, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, yet at the same time possesses sweet tannins, a very layered mouthfeel, and dazzling purity and length. It will need 5-7 years of cellaring and will drink well for three decades. (Tasted four times.) Drink 2015-2045.

95/98+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

Black olive, green olive and coffee bean. Ripe fruit too. Full-bodied, with velvety and polished tannins and fabulous fruit. Love the texture and depth of fruit to this wine. So long too. Tangy freshness at the end.

95/98
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.