Château Troplong Mondot Saint-Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé, 2004

Region: Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux - France

Grapes: 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Cabernet Franc

Color: Highly concentrated purple.

Scents: 

Palate: Along with grippy tannins there was dark fruit and tobacco in the mouth. A very well balanced wine with plenty of flavor.

The property on which Troplong Mondot's vineyard is planted has existed since the 18th century. When Abbot Raymond de Sèze, from a prestigious Bordeaux family, built the current château, Mondot was already considered to be among Saint Emilion's finest wines. Raymond Troplong, who subsequently became President of the Senate, added to the vineyard in 1850 and, since then, its size has remained unchanged. His nephew, Edouard Troplong, added his name to Mondot before selling it to the Valette family.The 30-hectare vineyard consists mainly of old vines (with an average age of 35 years, although some are as old as 90), and benefits from a perfect orientation and natural drainage, since it is located at the highest point in Saint Emilion. In 2006, as part of the ten-yearly revision of the Saint-Emilion classification, Troplong Mondot was promoted to a Premier Grand Classé B.

Under the direction of Christine Valette-Parienté since 1980, wine quality has experienced a striking improvement, even in non-vintage years. The wines enjoy a long maturation in oak barrels (at least 75% new wood) for a period of time which depends on the structure of the vintage, but can be up to 24 months.