2025, Château Troplong Mondot, SAINT-ÉMILION, 1er Grand Cru ClasséThere have been massive and revolutionary changes here, with picking at a much earlier date and all the manipulative extraction techniques abandoned in favour of more traditional winemaking. Aymeric de Gironde (formerly of Pichon Baron & Cos DEstournel) is to be applauded for his radical restyling of Troplong Mondot into a classic and pure St Emilion. 2025 is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc The 2025 Troplong Mondot is one of

Saline spices

fresh but ripe and lively with elderflower

with balanced tannins and good length

orange peel and mint are beautifully lifted

500 candles in the vineyards (as with Petrus and VCC) were effective against the frost here

The bouquet reveals balsam herb

91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Rich but lively

It’s pretty mercurial as it unfolds in the glass

The nose is excellent

Here the whole bunches deliver some white pepper

Succulent yet quite densely mouth-filling straight away