2021 Château La Mondotte

The 2021 La Mondotte is a dense, potent beauty, with depths of black cherry, plum, gravel, scorched earth, leather, lavender and incense. In 2021, Mondotte is quite savory and brooding, a style with freshness and less opulence than most years. It's also a wine that needs time. I imagine the 2021 will always be a pretty dark Saint-Émilion.

- Antonio Galloni (12/2023)

Blueberries, dark chocolate, lavender and sage aromas follow through to a medium body with polished and refined tannins that are integrated but give a sense of strength and muscular tone. Elegance with structure. Closed now, it needs time to soften. Exceptional for the vintage. Better after 2028. (07/2024)

Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in 50% new barrels, the 2021 La Mondotte is another floral, perfumed, impressive wine. Red and black raspberries, spring flowers, rose petals, and chalky minerality all define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with fine yet present tannins, terrific balance, and outstanding length. I’d certainly love a glass today, but it will ideally be given 3-5 years of bottle age and will put a smile on your face any time over the following 15+ years. (04/2024)

The 2021 La Mondotte is made from 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, aging in 50% new oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it is wearing the new oak up-front to begin, soon settling into a pretty perfume of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and rose oil, plus suggestions of fertile loam and tar. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing and minerally, with fragrant red fruits and a floral note on the finish. (05/2022)

Delivers extroverted fruit, with cassis and plum puree notes leading the way, backed by the vintage's savory austerity, though the fruit wins out fairly easily. Reveals pretty floral and red tea accents that glide through on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2036. 1,600 cases made.

- J.M.

Unwinding in the glass with scents of cherry, sweet berries, dark chocolate and loamy soil, the 2021 La Mondotte is medium to full-bodied, lively and concentrated, with a compact, tightly wound profile, tangy acids and beautifully refined tannins. Of all the von Neipperg wines, this is the most reticent at this early stage, but all the components for a notable success are present.

- William Kelley (04/2022)