1998 Château Troplong Mondot

Community Tasting Note

Tim Heaton wrote:

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 - I felt kind of out of place as we tasted this double-blind - others really liked it (especially after the reveal), but I thought it simple and boring; my guess was (generic) Cali Cab/blend with 12-15 years on it, fwiw. No formal note here, all I can say was I couldn't wait to be done with it and taste the next wine. And, while some said this was just getting going, I think it's already arrived, and that's not saying too much. 13,0% abv.

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Comment posted by Remony:

3/7/2017 1:33:00 PM - Couldn't agree more! I just don't like mine, and will be disposing of the rest of the case.
Comment posted by Tim Heaton:

3/7/2017 1:37:00 PM - cheers! for grins, my note on the 2003, from last August:

Respectable stuff, if not overly memorable. Color still holding fast, and as it suggests, the nose, too, is on the young side - or at a minimum, it's pretty tightly coiled. I did like what (little) was revealed though, plums, soil, iron, pencil lead; a somewhat conspicuous absence of florals though. The palate was also rather tight (my bad, I did not give this at least 2-3 hours in decanter like it so obviously deserved), but the flavors followed the nose with the earthen notes subtly trumping the fruit (a win for my preferences). The 14,0% is resolved. That said, I'm glad I served it at 60F, as there was always a sensation that it wasn't completely so (i.e. resolved). Very fine tannins yet to fully resolve. TONS of sediment here, you've been warned. Held since release, cork and fill like new. HOLD (sell?); thru 2030

Slow-O 1 hr, served non-blind. I'm glad I'm not sitting on a bunch of these.

** update, day 2** as expected, this is much more expressive - with respect to fruits. With 1/4 of the bottle corked overnight on a kitchen counter, this is now completely open for business. And while I like some of what I see, it still doesn't add up to much. The lesson here is be careful what you ask for: 10 years ago - when I bought it - I (i.e. thought) 'wanted' this, but now my palate's changed and I am quite disinterested in this style of wine.
Comment posted by Remony:

3/7/2017 1:49:00 PM - 15 years ago, Troplong Mondot was the latest hot wine sensation in the City of London. I remember being told that it would soon be vying with the First Growths! On the strength of that reputation I naively bought my case of this '98.

Happily, I never bought it in any other vintage.
Comment posted by JJYoyo:

9/6/2017 5:37:00 PM - I agree with your overall assessment, although I found it not terribly CA in style; more a generic left bank claret without any real spark to it.
Comment posted by Tim Heaton:

9/6/2017 8:58:00 PM - agreed, I can see that
Comment posted by Purple Tooth:

10/9/2017 8:56:00 AM - WS, good one. Yes, cool year, older california wine. I think it just lacked French/Bordeaux terroir for the price..Spot on.