Winemaker Notes
The quality of La Mondotte's clay and the age of the vines (60 years on average) result in a wine that is profoundly marked by its terroir. It is silky, powerful, incomparably elegant, and has enormous minerality.
Blend: 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A cool and salty wine with blackberries, black olives, crushed stone. Medium to full body with a crunchy and layered palate and a minerally and salient character. You can feel the limestone here. Supple at the end. From organically grown grapes. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc.
Barrel Sample: 98-99 -
Decanter
Marking its 30th vintage, Château La Mondotte continues to justify its stature as one of the smallest yet most compelling Premier Grand Cru Classé estates. From 70-year-old vines rooted in a 4.5-hectare parcel on the clay-limestone plateau east of Saint-Émilion, the wine reflects its terroir with precision: silty clay over a rocky subsoil, naturally regulating water and encouraging deep rooting, with excellent drainage and sun exposure ensuring full, early ripening. The aromatics are immediately captivating: crushed tobacco, violets, and a seamless interplay of red and black fruit. On the palate, there is remarkable energy and vivacity, the ripe fruit carried by vibrant, finely tuned structure. There’s both depth and lift here, a sense of concentration without weight, as everything seems to glide rather than press. A fabulous expression of site and vine age, and a standout in the appellation. Bravo!
Barrel Sample: 97 -
Vinous
The 2025 La Mondotte is powerful yet understated. A rush of black cherry, lavender, sage, menthol, licorice and espresso conveys tons of intensity. Gravel, scorched earth and dried herbs add classic Mondotte savory and mineral dimensions. Broad, chocolatey tannins support the explosive mid-palate and finish. This really sizzles with limestone-infused energy. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 95-97
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.