Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Picked between August 28 and September 25 (surely one of the broadest ranges in Bordeaux this year, but logical considering the estate's different altitudes and aspects), the 2025 Troplong Mondot is one of the wines of the vintage. Exhibiting a deep bouquet of blackberries and plums complemented by floral accents of lilac, iris and subtle spices, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, with a brooding core of fruit girdled by bright acids and sweet but abundant tannins. A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, it will rival the 2022, though in vintage signature the two years are very different.
Barrel Sample: 98-100 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Since 2020, this estate has been fashioning absolutely brilliant releases, and the pure, graceful 2025 Château Troplong Mondot does everything right. Black raspberry, crushed stone, spicy graphite, and assorted floral notes all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautiful mid-palate concentration, and a great finish. It's one of those rare wines that brings remarkable intensity and depth with no sensation of weight, and this comes closest in style to the 2020.
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
Vinous
The 2025 Troplong Mondot is one of the most finessed wines I have ever tasted here. Dark, ample and explosive, with mind-blowing purity, the 2025 simply has it all. Hints of dried herbs, chocolate, menthol, licorice and blackberry infuse the wine with remarkable concentration and pure power. Even with all its natural richness, the 2025 is not at all heavy. A totally stunning Saint-Émilion, Troplong Mondot is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Harvest started on August 28 (the earliest ever) and wrapped up nearly a month later on September 25, which illustrates how diverse the terroirs are here. Aging was in 50% new oak, 40% 20HL foudre and 10% once-filled barrels. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
James Suckling
A very structured wine with blackberry, hazelnut, dark chocolate, violet and some black licorice aromas. Full-bodied but in a reserved way, with super framing of the fine tannins. Elegant and structured. Fun to taste. 13.9% alcohol. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet sauvignon.
Barrel Sample: 97-98 -
Decanter
Lovely rose petal fragrance on the nose, floral and expressive with some dried herbs, dark bramble fruit and licks of liquorice. Round and sleek at the same time with a gorgeous texture and energy from the start. Chewy but so delicate, a soft grip and cushioning of the juicy, mouthwatering yet cool red berry fruit and really crystalline salty-edged tannins. I love the gentle frame here, so different to 2022 but so pleasurable. There’s density for sure but you just don’t feel any heaviness or overt muscle. Silky, grippy with a salty bite and fresh finish. Almost understated from Troplong – full of juicy acidity and supportive tannins. I feel this will fill out over ageing. Director Aymeric de Gironde said 2025 is: ‘A mix of 2022 intensity and 2023 brightness but more mineral.’ 3.43pH. Overall yield of 27hl/ha. Ageing 50% new oak, 40% foudre, and10% one-year-old barrels with the goal of moving towards more foudre in future.
Barrel Sample: 96
Premier Grand Cru Classe in Saint-Emilion, Chateau Troplong Mondot stands out with refinement, boasting a strong wine identity, a perfectly-controlled vineyard and an innate sense of welcoming. Located on the highet point of Saint-Emilion's famous limestone plateau, the 43-hectare estate held in one piece stands on some of the most enviable and unique terroirs of the Right Bank, with ideal geological conditions and exposure, The unique diversity of the soils is revealed through balanced wines combining strength and elegance, complexity and precision. Troplong Mondot's history has been enriched with charismatic and cultured figures who have led the estate towards excellence with a different vision. By trusting Aymeric de Gironde for the executive management, the company SCOR bring a fresh boost since 2017 while respecting the values and spirit of the estate.
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.