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| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.1 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 49 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MariusA on 3/3/2024 & rated 88 points: I suspect this is a polarizing wine, which is quite obvious when you read Neal Martin and Robert Parker's widely different take on this bottle in the same publication. I purchased three bottles in 2016. This was the last of the three bottles and I must admit none of them gave me much drinking pleasure. In fact, they were all rather consistent in that aspect. Last night's bottle seemed harsh, unbalanced, and still relatively tannic. It seemed to me that this wine just never mellowed out. (615 views) | | | Tasted by The Wine Monkeys on 10/8/2023 & rated 92 points: Layers of ripe, dark cherry and plum with a touch of wood. A bit of dryness to the tannins on the palate and in the finish but very nicely integrated. Very nice length. PNP but a brief decant would have enhanced drinking as this came alive with time in the glass. Wonderful wine. (475 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 12/31/2022 & rated 92 points: A very tasty wine. A more modern, flamboyant style than the two wines drunk alongside ('98 VCC and '98 L'Eglise Clinet). Really quite delicious but lacks the complexity and class of the other two wines but that's pretty stiff competition. Truffles and dark fruits abound with a layered texture and a fine, satisfying finish with notes of dark chocolate and dark cherry spice. (1175 views) | | | Tasted by Kevnzworld on 9/29/2022 & rated 93 points: PNP at LuLu
Ripe new world style Bordeaux with noticeable oak.
Enjoyable if slightly unbalanced.
Perhaps it would have benefited from a decant (1210 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/16/2022 & rated 93 points: Quite ripe, almost Port like. Loads of density and opulence, but a bit more freshness would make this an even better wine. Layers of ripe and overripe, black cherry and plums with a good touch of salt to the tannins on the palate and in the finish. You can drink now, as I am not sure this is going to get better. Drink from 2022-2030. (2963 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 12/20/2021 & rated 95 points: 11x Bdx & Bdx Blends from around the World: Tasted double blind. There was little doubt in my mind that this is a nicely aged Napa Valley wine. Lots of menthol notes, lots of fruit sweetness and a slightly lower-than-Bordeaux-average acidity all fit the typical description in my book. Unsurprisingly, we were all quite floored when we saw the Bordeaux label. But taking a closer look it is probably less surprising as La Mondotte is fairly known (especially around that time) to have produced fairly ripe, extracted, concentrated and sweet wines. Anyway, this wine showed quite good today, easily drinking on a 94/95 pts level but it was not really a classic Bordeaux.
TN: Medium expressive nose with some menthol notes and a bit of fruit sweetness shining through. On the palate this is very expressive with menthol/eucylptus notes, ripe dark berries, good amount of sweetness, herbs, minerality, some tertiary aromas. Very fine tannin structure but a touch of acidity missing but thanks to the menthol component, it is still fresh and overall superbly balanced. Very long finish with dark berries and menthol.
Decanting: Short 30 mins decant only which seemed perfect.
Group rank (9 ppl.): 4th out of 10 wines (2818 views) | | | Tasted by La Sprezzatura on 12/4/2021 & rated 92 points: had lots of tannins and a good length, can still be kept, was even a bit closed at the beginning, would certainly profit from a quick decant (681 views) | | | Tasted by J_H on 12/4/2021 & rated 92 points: Weinkongress 2021 (Restaurant Sonne Leuggern): - tasted blind (next to Gruaud Larose 2000 and Haut Brion 1987).
- Nose: Intense, seems to have only a few mature notes because of a very expressive fruit, power and sexiness. Seems a bit clumsy with time.
- Palate: medium + intense, seems much fresher here than on the nose. The acidity is medium ~ + which is why la Mondotte is suddenly fun after all. In particular, it has power, you have to get into the wine a bit after the two Left Banks. The finish is very very long, whereby the tannins (medium +) are still surprisingly present.
- Should definitely be decanted to fully develop. Still has potential for 5-8 years.
- 92-93 points (1319 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 12/4/2021 & rated 95 points: Tasted double-blind as part of a random mixed Bordeaux-blend line-up. Double-decanted (carafe 30mins). Super plush, dense, gingerbread sweetness, concentrated and ripe fruit without being jammy, various herbal dimensions. The voluptuousness doesn’t mean the palate is overdone. In fact quite the contrary. Nice and round with a lightness to it. Amazingly no one of the 9 people at the table guessed Bordeaux (including me, I thought Napa Merlot). Amazing how this combined the Bordeaux refinement with Napa sexiness. Best bottle I’ve had from my stash. Unfortunately also the last. (1417 views) | | | Tasted by mclanew on 5/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Decanted three hours. Attractive nose of plums, licorice, herbs and cedar. The wine is full bodied, packed with flavor, and carries a big structure. This wine has integrated well overtime, taming the more extracted wine making style into something that is reasonably well balanced today. (1304 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 9/5/2020 & rated 93 points: Had along dinner with friends hence only brief notes. A nicely aged and well structured 1998 right bank wine. In a nice spot with subtle yet dense aging aromas of mushrooms and black truffles, wet forest floor and cool yet well presented fruit core. I gave this a short decant which is spot on. Unfortunately, after 1h or so this developed green pepper and vegetal notes that dominated hence forth - this would have been really strong otherwise... (2012 views) | | | Tasted by nittanyjack on 5/16/2020: I have to say I was very disappointed in this bottle, particularly in light of previous reviews. This was very primary and new world in profile. All we got was blueberry...none of the secondary/tertiary characteristics others have noted. May as well have been drinking a $40 Cali merlot. Consistent with a bottle I had three months ago. (1581 views) | | | Tasted by mgreitzer on 12/26/2019: Better on day 2. This could keep another 10 years. (1713 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 10/14/2019 & rated 94 points: This seems at its peak with very nice tertiary aromatics combined with a very fresh and fine structure. It’s not the most complex or long wine but still very good to drink today. The highlight: the aged Bordeaux nose full of tobacco and with some truffles. Our bottle did not seem to be on a downward path as other bottles reviewed here. Despite being in the decanter for some hours it remained it’s good structure and there’s enough freshness and fruit left for some more ageing. 93/94 points.
TN: Very nice aged Bordeaux aromas with tobacco, truffles, forest floor, graphite, slight hints of animalic notes, as well as darker and with time more and more intense red berries. Mellowed tannins and good freshness. You could drinks liters of this. Very balanced and harmonic. Points deducted for subpar complexity, precision and length. But overall a winner.
Decanting: Decanted during a long dinner and held-up quite well. I guess, one hour will do the job (2410 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 10/11/2019 & rated 94 points: Decanted about 2h. First impression when closing in on the glass is wow. Already an elegant appearance from a distance. Then lots of truffles, some leather and perfumed fruit of dark berries, but also some blue and red in the mix. A bit of black tea. Still fresh and vibrant on the palate, almost light with red berry fruit and a wooden, cigar box aftertaste. A bit too acidic to be perfectly harmonious, however. The nose is clearly beating the palate here, hence not quite enough for a 95. Pretty much in a sweet spot here, I would not recommend to slowly but surely start opening remaining bottles in the cellar. (1948 views) | | | Tasted by TXW213 on 8/3/2019 & rated 95 points: Gedronken met Laurent, Ricky, Alan, Dorina, Anouk
Bruin-rood
Neus: kers, framboos, eucalyptus, tabak
Vol fruit (zwarte kers, zwarte bes), hout, fraaie rijpe tanine, veel kracht. Lange afdronk.
Prachtige wijn (1374 views) | | | Tasted by Flamengo on 6/12/2019 & rated 88 points: It has reached its peak a while ago. Brick mature color apearance. Although still a good nose, Definately declining on the mouth feel. Losing tanins and starting to taste ackward on the palate with unbalanced sourness and acidity. A shame. I dont believe is only this BOTTLE because it has been correctly cellared. If you have it dont waste time and drink it. It might have passed the best window. Disapointing for me. (1271 views) | | | Tasted by TXW213 on 5/26/2019 & rated 94 points: Met François, Gilène, Anouk, Cédric en Amélie
(Bruin-)rood. Neus kersen, blauwe bes, tabak.
Mild fruit met cassis, bramen. Droge tanine, leer, peper. Goede aciditeit. Middel structuur. Middel afdronk. Wijn 1 uur voor serveren geopend, niet gedecanteerd. Met Franse kaas gedronken en wijn knapt hier behoorlijk van op. (1144 views) | | | Tasted by AB16 on 11/29/2018 & rated 95 points: Blake Tasting - Guessed Right Bank, Elegant Fruit, 1990's - This is a beautiful wine that has everything I loved about aged right bank Bordeaux. Soft, elegant, balanced - incredible food beverage - A (1437 views) | | | Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 4/15/2018 & rated 90 points: The group initially thought this was from the new world. When steered to the old world they guessed Tuscany. It took them a long time to get to Bordeaux. This is exuberant, open for business and makes an entrance. It exudes modernity and polish with plummy ripe fruit, and a fair bit of new oak still to the fore. It might develop a bit more complexity with time, but right now is a bit anodyne, and I suspect I would quickly lose interest if I wasn’t sharing this with several others. (2508 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/10/2017 & rated 96 points: Full bodied, rich, fresh, dense and packed with ripe, pit fruits, crushed rocks and wet earth. There is a polish to the tannins and sweet, mineral driven fruit quality that sticks with you here. This is a good time to start popping corks on this beauty, as it's opening nicely today. (4039 views) | | | Tasted by tbuysse on 10/23/2016 & rated 97 points: Even better than 3 years ago. This is very impressive. Real depth, body and character. Smoked coffee beans, touch of vanilla, pinch of port and mature dark red fruit. Excellent. Similar in smel, look and taste to the near-perfect 2005 Smith. Not for people looking for a subtil hint or smoothness. (3352 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Schneider on 6/4/2016 & rated 89 points: Disappointing !!!!! No fun in the glass !!! Strange bottle ????? (3675 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/20/2015 & rated 96 points: This smells great, with its chocolate covered cassis, plum, smoke and truffle filled nose. Full bodied, rich and deep, with freshness, sweetness and purity of fruit, the wine finish offers good length and volume. However, there is a masculine quality to the structure to the wine, at least at this moment. (5699 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 2/15/2014 & rated 95 points: One of these bottles I bought due to the noise it made in the market back then to test and see... and then got lost in my cellar. Saw it today by coincidence and fished it out.
Tasting note: Dark-very dark garnet. Expressive nose of classic secondary Bordeaux aromas of dark fruit, cedar wood, a whiff of smoke and spices, beautiful and complex. On the palate medium-full bodied with good tannins and acidity supporting the fruit. CabFranc also coming through for freshness. A very good right banker no doubt, but at 250-350$ per bottle you have to ask yourself whether it is worth the 2.5x premium of the usually also very good Canon la Gaffeliere or other St.Emilions for that matter. Fully ready to drink now. (5549 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| La Mondotte Producer website | [ Read more about La MondotteRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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