Saint Emilion

wines

A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it’s full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot’s vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPA supremely excellent Troplong in 2022 that has the hallmarks of a concentrated vintage but delivered with ultimate poise and precision. A joy to taste and once again one of my favourites. Sharp, sleek, sour, bright and cool - I love the instant freshness and drinkability of this, tannins are fresh and detailed with both a plush and cool texture underpinned by layers of flavour with depth and concentration. Clearly muscular but pixelated - it’s not tense, lean or austere but generous, charming and playful. Supple and succulent, still with ripe strawberry, cherry and raspberry fruit, a mix of bright red and black berries with wet stone, liquorice, dark chocolate and graphite giving the terroir. Silky, balanced acidity and overall so well controlled and presented. 3.5pH. Ageing 50% new oak, reduced by 5% plus 21% in 20hl foudre, 24% one wine barrels. 98-100 points. Decanter | 98 DECClearly the finest wine to date under the new team and direction here, the 2022 Château Troplong Mondot reveals a vivid purple hue as well as sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, acacia flowers, and graphite, with a beautiful underpinning of chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has flawless balance, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. The purity, precision, and just sheer class are something to behold.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDVery attractive aromas of plums and chocolate with hints of raspberry bush and hazelnut. So fresh and even savory with medium to full body. Such a wide tannin structure building up on the palate. Shows depth and length with lots of minerality. Floral. Beautiful already. 85% merlot, 13% cabernet sauvignon and 2% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe 2022 Troplong-Mondot was picked from 29 August when it was 31° Celsius, which according to estate director Aymeric de Gironde, felt cool compared to the rest of summer. The alcohol is 14.9% with the pH of 3.48. It sees no SO2 until it is transferred into barrel. The nose is very attractive and certainly very expressive of its limestone terroir: blackberry, briary, crushed iris petal and light marine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, quite chalky in texture, that acidic spine governing its overall mouthfeel. Sapid on the finish, this Troplong Mondot builds in the mouth and coats it on the finish. De Gironde and I discussed my previous scores. I always said that he would get better and better during his tenure and this is clearly the case in 2022, the best Troplong Mondot...so far.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Troplong Mondot needs a swirl or two to awaken scents of blueberry compote, juicy blackberries, and Morello cherries, giving way to fragrant wafts of raspberry leaves, wilted roses, Ceylon tea, crushed rocks, and cedar, plus a hint of licorice. The concentrated, big, voluptuous, full-bodied palate is bursting with bright, shiny black and red berry layers, supported by super-plush tannins and fantastic tension, finishing with epic length and loads of mineral sparks. pH 3.48.The Wine Independent | 96-98+ TWI

A pure version, with a mix of sel gris, quinine and Key lime notes leading the way, backed by subtle accents of lemon curd, salted butter and honeysuckle. The long, refined finish shows a flash of wet stone. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now through 2027. 1,452 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Smoky black cherries, savory herbs, crushed stone, and graphite nuances all emerge from the 2022 Château Fombrauge, a wonderfully textured, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has ripe, integrated tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSoft herbal and menthol accents on the nose join ripe bramble berries and touches of cedar spice. Juicy and fleshy, this has a nice overall expression combining strength and heft with focus and push. Lovely bitter orange, cocoa and coffee touches join the fruit with fine tannins giving a touch of bite to the palate. Feels finessed and well worked.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECAromas of white pepper, iron, fresh blackberries and currants. Juicy and firm, with a medium to full body and firm, dusty tannins that tightened at the end. Very good length. Drink from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA juicy blend of Merlot (along with a good proportion of Cabernet Franc), the wine is rich and structured. Juicy black fruits will develop well, as the wood aging adds a fine polish. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe blend in 2022 is 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc, the focus clearly on the Cabernet which only accounts for 9% of the vineyard. A dark, smoky and toasted nose, laden with vanilla pod, toasted cranberry, rose-petal tobacco and dark chocolate, very typical of the style for Fombrauge. This is followed by a svelte, dark and polished palate, with a rich core of peppery tannins, leading into a finish framed by the structure. This is old-school Magrez in terms of colour, flavour and extract, but it has a fresher, more vivacious, more peppery edge than it used to. Nicely done. It needs cellar time of course. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2022 Fombrauge has an intense bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and floral scents. Very aromatic anis and orange pith touches develop in the glass with time. The palate is well balanced with grippy tannins, yet there is satisfying freshness and salinity. The finish is nicely detailed and persistent. Afford this Saint-Émilion a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 92 VMA polished, direct style, with a mix of blackberry and cherry compote notes leading the way, along with light red licorice, sweet toast and black tea hints. A subtle tug of earth keeps this just honest enough on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 26,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2022 Fombrauge displays a deep and complex yet oaky bouquet with aromas of cassis, spices, graphite and fresh tobacco. Firm and dense, concentrated and fleshy, the palate is medium to full-bodied, chunky and heavily extracted. This demonstrative, modern-styled wine is a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 88-90 RP

This is the 245th blend of Roederer’s non-vintage Champagne. It is a fine wine, highlighting the blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, bringing in reserve wines to give richness and balance. It is fresh, beginning to show signs of maturity, with an apple aroma and a ripe palate. Drink now.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe bright straw-colored NV Champagne Collection 245 is juicy and ripe, revealing notes of ripe, fresh peaches and bread, with a chalky, elegant texture and a pinpoint, refined mousse. This medium-bodied Champagne continues to impress and is an outstanding value to drink now or over the next 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRestrained green apple, lemon bush and lime, plus light brioche and chalk. Medium to full body with fine, nicely persistent bubbles and good substance on the mid-palate. Almost biting yet polished at the end, with long, refreshing acidity. Lacks a bit of complexity at the moment, but fresh. Best from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSThe newly-arrived release of the Louis Roederer “Collection 245” is from the base year of 2020, which comprises fifty-five percent of the blend this year. The remaining forty-five percent of the cuvée this year is split between wines from the solera started by Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon in 2012 for this bottling and which constitute thirty-five percent of the blend. The remaining ten percent made up of reserve wines that the maison has in the cellar for their other non-vintage cuvées. The final cépages ended up being forty-one percent chardonnay, thirty-five percent pinot noir and twenty-four percent pinot meunier. The wine was aged sur lattes for just under four years and finished with a dosage of seven grams per liter. Only twenty-two percent of the vins clairs this year went through malo for the wine. The bouquet is pure, precise and still youthful, offering up scents of apple, fresh apricot, lemon, bread dough, chalky minerality, dried flowers and the first hints of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, mineral-driven and beautifully zesty, with a superb core of fruit, elegant mousse, a lovely spine of acidity and fine focus and balance on the long, complex and elegant finish. This is a beautiful wine and if any other Grandes Marques is making non-vintage Brut at this quality level these days, I am unaware of it! Fine juice. (Drink between 2025-2055)John Gilman | 93 JGBased on the 2020 vintage, Louis Roederer’s NV Brut Collection 245 is stylistically somewhat comparable to the two previous editions, which were based on the 2018 and 2019 vintages. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon explains that the personality of the wine will change depending on the base year. By identifying the wine with a number, they do not intend to produce the same profile year in and year out, but rather, they will embrace the singularity of each vintage, accepting the different personalities of the base year. It is complemented by a perpetual reserve initiated in 2012, which is stored in large tanks without lees; the reserve provides balance to the warm years like this, as the perpetual component did not go through malolactic fermentation. While a considerable portion of the fruit comes from Louis Roederer’s own estates, for this bottling, the blend incorporates purchased fruit as well, particularly Pinot Meunier, which they do not own. Including approximately 43% Chardonnay, the new Brut Collection offers notes of pear, peach and candied orange zest. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, textural and fleshy, laden with vibrant acidity and concluding with a nicely defined, delicately saline finish, even with 7.5 grams per liter dosage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPA mineral-driven version, with an airy, chalky-textured mousse. Deftly integrates hints of smoke and oyster shell with flavors of yellow plum, Gala apple, honeysuckle and salted almond. Refined and persistent on the finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Drink now. 15,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS