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Troplong Mondot 2010

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

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Troplong Mondot

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Tasting Notes

Inky, bluish/black/purple, with notes of spring flowers, licorice, camphor, graphite, and a boatload of blueberry, black raspberry and blackberry fruit, this is a powerful, full-bodied Troplong Mondot. All the building components of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol are judiciously and impressively integrated. It is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc made by Christine Valette and her husband Xavier Pariente with the consultancy help of Michel Rolland. I'm not sure what the heady alcohol level is in Troplong Mondot in 2010 (it certainly must be in the 15%+ range), but it is well-concealed behind the extravagant, richness, full-bodied power, and pure nobility of this majestic wine. Forget this for 5-7 years and drink it over the following three decades.

99
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013

The 2010 Troplong Mondot, which clocks in at 15.8% alcohol no less, actually has developed an elegant bouquet with perfumed red berry fruit laced with rose petal, sous-bois and pencil box aromas, focused and quite delineated. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. There is a fair whack of new oak and alcohol evident here, but that velvety finish and its persistence will be irresistible to those that like almost "brash" Saint-Émilions. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. 94? 2020 - 2034

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com, April 2020

What a nose. Gorgeous aromas of minerals, flowers and dark berries. Stunning. Full bodied, with a solid core of fruit and racy tannins. Citrusy finish too. Loving this

95/96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2011

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Troplong Mondot explodes with beautiful floral notes of red roses and candied violets over a core of plum preserves, kirsch and blueberry pie with a waft of bouquet garni. Full-bodied, rich and decadently fruited, it has bags of plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and sinfully hedonic. 2020 - 2045

98
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020

Blackish crimson. Ruby rim. Light cocoa notes on the nose. Lots of sweet maltiness. Pushed to the limit of ripeness. Perfectly serviceable modern St-Émilion style but a little bit painful to taste at this stage. Slightly drying finish. Pushed too far?

15.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2011

Since the late 1980's Christine Valette has consistently produced dense blockbuster Saint Emilions here. 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, malolactic fermentation and elevage all in new oak. Always a serious and powerful wine. Strong Michel Rolland influences here. This is a massive wine that stains the sides of the tasting glass. Bourneville chocolate, black cherry and liquorice flavours dominate. Super-ripe, dense and intense. Very ripe and extracted to the limit. A slight bitterness at the finish from the strapping tannins but there is so much fruit in the middle. You have to be impressed by the sheer intensity of this wine even if it is lacking in subtlety.

93+
Farr Vintners, April 2011

The nose is full of rich fruit and the depth of flavour gives power on the palate. Red and black fruits intermingle with the ripeness of the black fleshing out the mid palate. Rounded tannins help the fleshy feel but towards the back there is balancing redcurrant freshness.

90/93
Derek Smedley MW, April 2011
96
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2011

A modern beauty. Still has deep colour, power and density but there seems to be more refinement these days. Rich, complex nose with cassis, cacao, spice and menthol notes. Sumptuous texture, balancing acidity and long, firm finish. Drink 2020-2035.

18.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2011
Read more tasting notes...

An amazing wine, the 2010 is right up there with the extraordinary quality of 2009, 2005 and 1990. Made from yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare, the final blend was 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. A late harvest between October 4 and 16 with the last of the Cabernet Franc coming in on October 28 no doubt accounts for the wine's powerful 15.5% natural alcohol. Of course, the anti-alcohol folks will make a big deal of this, but despite the high alcohol levels in nearly every 2010, there is freshness, precision, definition and absolutely no heat in the wines whatsoever. This stunningly rich effort offers abundant blueberry, black raspberry, licorice and graphite notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast, a seriously concentrated, super-intense mouthfeel, full-bodied power, a complex, multidimensional texture and a nearly 50-second finish. It will require 5-6 years of bottle age after its release and should keep for three decades or more. Just prodigious!

96/98+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011
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.