What historic property has been growing since 1700 and owns a variety of extraordinary terroirs in an ideal location? We could only be talking about Château Troplong-Mondot, a rather unique Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B.
A rich history over several centuries
If you journey back to the start of Château Troplong Mondot’s story, you will end up in 1700 when the first vines were planted. In 1850, Raymond-Théodore Troplong extended the domain, which was already being counted as a Saint-Emilion great, to the size that it still is today. His nephew, Edouard Troplong, later sold the property to the Valette family.
More recently, the domain was bought by Scor, an insurance company, in 2017. Aymeric de Gironde runs the château with Rémy Monribot as the cellar master.
A unique ecosystem in Saint-Emilion
Located on a Saint-Emilion hillock, the château’s vines grow in an unusual terroir surrounded by hills on one side and a valley and Saint-Emilion on the other. With wines, hedges, paths and low walls, the domain has a unique ecosystem and biodiversity has been protected there for more than 20 years.
The majority of the vines planted are Merlot (85%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) and a little Cabernet Franc (2%) making up the remainder. The château, which is committed to respecting the environment, uses about ten horses to work among the wines, going up and down the rows between March and November. The vines, which are on average 20 years old but the oldest are 90, are harvested manually.
Château Troplong-Mondot wines
Each year, the property produces about 190,000 bottles with yields standing at 40 hectolitres per hectare. The wine is created using traditional methods and aged using 85% new barrels.
The grand vin contains 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc while the second wine called “Mondot” is comprised entirely of Merlot.
This wine develops complex aromas of liquorice, blackcurrant, and spices. Incredibly deep and concentrated, it has exceptional ageing potential.
The way to become acquainted with a Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B is to try this flavourful wine. The palate is enveloped by elegant tannins and a beautiful tautness, but you will also find the minerality from the terroir there. You can enjoy this wine now or keep it for another 15 years.
