2023 Château Troplong-Mondot

Seductive aromas of orange blossoms, plums, green olives and sandalwood. Medium- to full-bodied, showing crunchy fruit and fresh tannins with orange peel and a chalky texture. Salty at the end. A unique wine full of character but not overdone. Zesty and terrific. 13% alcohol. A blend of 84% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 3% cabernet franc. Best after 2029. (12/2025)

The Grand Vin 2023 Château Troplong Mondot checks in as 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, from healthy yields of 53 hectoliter per hectare, raised in 60% new wood, hitting 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.48. It brings another level of density and depth, with gorgeous notes of black cherries, hints of mulberries, graphite, and crushed stone. Medium-bodied on the palate, it shines for its beautiful purity of fruit and has plenty of background oak, a creamy, rounder mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. (05/2024)

A blend of 84% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Troplong Mondot has a pH of 3.45. Aymeric de Gironde commented, ‘Our crop of Cabernet Franc was our biggest ever.’ It has a deep garnet-purple color and needs a little swirling and coaxing before gorgeous notes of mulberries, wild blueberries, and redcurrant jelly slowly begin to emerge, followed by hints of sassafras, mossy tree bark, and graphite, plus wafts of rose oil and cumin seed. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black and red fruit layers, with floral and chalky sparks and velvety tannins, finishing long and beguiling. This is breathtaking! (05/2024)