Delicate and beguiling fragrance with a bright and shiny, sleek expression on the palate. Direct and focused with tangy red berry fruit, acidity on the high side giving an immediate buzz, supportive tannins that give density and structure but retain grace and elegance. A full and serious wine while still being streamlined and on the leaner flavour spectrum. Lots of texture and interest.

The 2021 Troplong Mondot is shockingly raw and untamed, but in the very best sense of those terms. A wine of energy and pure power, the 2021 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, but it is certainly very impressive in the early going. The 2021 clocks in at 13.5%, which has not been seen here since the 1990s. The 2021 is not an easy wine to taste at this stage, as it is not fully formed. I won't be surprised if the 2021 turns out even better than this note suggests. It is a dazzling wine by any measure, and a far cry from the wines of decade ago, when the malolactic fermentations were often not finished when en primeur samples were presented! Superb.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

Lovely density here with a solid center-palate of fruit and fine tannins. Medium body. Underlying salinity and oyster-shell character in the finish. Well defined. Grows at the end.
James Suckling, May 2022

The 2021 Troplong Mondot unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and plums mingled with violets, exotic spices and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, the wine is layered and complex, with all the depth and authority that one expects from this clay-driven terroir, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by sweet tannins and lively animating acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc with a remarkably low pH of 3.35, it's the first vintage produced in the estate's state-of-the-art new winery.

The natural density and power of Troplong is a huge benefit in 2021. Love the coiled power and the precision that is on display, damson and blueberry fruit, salted cracker, density thorugh the mid palate, liqourice root and fennel signoff. A full of month of harvest, and the first time with the new cellar. One of the few that may just need a 8 to 10 before really coming into its stride.

The natural density that they have at Troplong was extremely helpful in a vintage like 2021. This is a little more reserved than a typical year, but very much delivers signature power. Expect gunsmoke, fern and raspberry leaf alongside cherry pit and saffron salinity, black cherry fruits, rosebud, anis, fennel spice, all with the powerful and concentrated signature of limestone. I was here on the last day of harvest, and I remember how healthy the grapes were. This is the first vintage where the cellar has been completely finished, moving from 20 to 42 tanks. No chaptilisation (but the natural 13.5%abv is extremely rare at this late ripening property, and a real indication of how long it took for sugars to climb in this vintage).
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, May 2022

The 2021 Troplong Mondot shows considerable promise, exhibiting aromas of plums and wild berries mingled with notions of sweet spices, rose petals, vine smoke and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless palate endowed with impressive intensity and texture. Built around beautifully refined, powdery tannins and lively acids, it concludes with a long, mouthwateringly saline finish. Macerations here were long but gentle, including a long cold soak before fermentation, and the blend, after much deliberation, is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted four times.
William Kelley, April 2022

Aymeric de Gironde, who without exaggeration has revolutionized this Saint-Émilion estate, told me that in 2021, the Troplong Mondot comes exclusively from the heart of the original vineyard, mainly on molasse soils. It was picked from September 17 to October 18, unusually finishing with the Merlot, and has 13.5% alcohol without any chaptalization or saignée. The focused blackberry, raspberry and iris petal scented nose is very delineated, yet more reserved than recent vintages. (A second sample at the château had a little more chutzpah.) The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly chalky tannins and a fine bead of acidity that imports liveliness and verticality. This Troplong-Mondot is imbued with a palpably mineral-driven finish. I am full of admiration for this cerebral wine, though I wager that it will need several years in bottle. Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2022

A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Château Troplong Mondot was raised in 55% new oak, 21% in once-used, and the balance in foudre for 14 months. It's ruby, semi-opaque hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of smoky black raspberries, crunchy cherries, chalky minerality, rose, and spring flowers. It's medium-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and just a pretty, pure, seamless style. It clearly offers pleasure today but should be given 4-5 years, and it will evolve for two decades.

Mid ruby. Highly floral, with notes of cherry blossom and rose together with hints of sweet spice and riper red plum. The wood is measured – ever present but only supporting the fruit. Fine-grained and ripe tannins gently frame the fruit, which is lifted but intense. An airy, fleet-footed wine and another impressive showcase of the recent changes here. Sweet spices and hedgerow fruit on the finish. Very approachable, too. (TP)

85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. 47 hl/ha. Cask sample. Deep colour. Floral notes with an attractive density of fruit. Finely structured, velvety tannins providing the framework. Minty freshness as well, the finish chalky. Balanced with all the components in place. (JL)

Deep colour. Floral notes with an attractive density of fruit. Finely structured, velvety tannins providing the framework. Minty freshness as well, the finish chalky. Balanced with all the components in place. (JL) 13.5%
Drink 2027 – 2042
Jancisrobinson.com, May 2022