Château Troplong-Mondot

Château Troplong-Mondot's history reaches back to the 17th century, when the property belonged to Abbé Raymond de Sèze. It was de Sèze who constructed the château that still stands today, with building recorded in 1745, at a time when the de Sèze family already owned several estates in Saint-Émilion. Around 1850, Raymond Troplong, a distinguished jurist and President of the French Senate, purchased the estate and expanded the vineyard to approximately its current size. Upon his death, the property passed to Edouard Troplong, who combined the family name with the geographic qualifier 'Mondot' to create the name we know today. The estate subsequently passed through the hands of the Thienpont family before being acquired by the Valette family in 1936. Christine Valette took control in 1981 and spent more than three decades transforming quality, hiring Michel Rolland as consultant, switching to hand-harvesting, reducing yields, removing Malbec vines, and introducing temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Her efforts were rewarded with promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the 2006 reclassification. Christine passed away in 2014; her husband Xavier Pariente managed the estate until its sale to SCOR in 2017.

• Château built in 1745 by Abbé Raymond de Sèze; property dates to the 17th century
• Raymond Troplong, President of the French Senate, purchased the estate around 1850 and expanded the vineyards; Edouard Troplong later gave the estate its combined name
• Valette family ownership from 1936; Christine Valette managed from 1981 until her death in 2014, driving the quality transformation
• Promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé B in 2006; sold to French reinsurer SCOR in July 2017 at a record 7 million euros per hectare

The 2017 acquisition by SCOR, the world's fourth largest reinsurance company, brought immediate and sweeping changes. Aymeric de Gironde, previously managing director at Cos d'Estournel, arrived on September 15, 2017, in time to oversee the harvest, making 2017 his first vintage. Consulting winemaker Thomas Duclos replaced Jean-Philippe Fort, bringing a philosophy favoring freshness and precision over extraction and richness. The new ownership also purchased 10.5 hectares from neighboring estates Clos Labarde and Bellisle Mondotte, expanding the total vineyard, though only 26.5 hectares carry the Premier Grand Cru Classé classification. A comprehensive cellar renovation, begun shortly after acquisition, was completed in 2020, equipping the winery with 40 gravity-fed stainless steel conical vats for precise plot-by-plot vinification. The house style shifted visibly from the powerful, heavily extracted wines of the Valette era to wines that are fresher, brighter, and more expressive of the plateau's limestone terroir.

• SCOR is the world's fourth largest reinsurance company; acquisition price set a then record of 7 million euros per hectare
• Aymeric de Gironde, former managing director of Cos d'Estournel, appointed director in 2017; Thomas Duclos appointed consulting winemaker from the 2017 vintage
• Cellar renovation completed 2020; 40 stainless steel conical vats allow plot-by-plot vinification
• Style evolved since 2017 toward freshness, energy, and limestone terroir expression, with earlier harvesting and reduced new oak

Troplong-Mondot occupies the highest point of the Saint-Émilion plateau, with the crest of the Mondot rising to over 100 meters, the greatest elevation in the entire appellation. The vineyard sits on southwest and south-facing slopes extending toward Château Pavie, with deep limestone deposits beneath layers of thick clay soil and sedimentary fragments of flint throughout. The estate describes up to 25 distinct sub-terroirs within its holdings. Recent vintage blends reflect a predominantly Merlot vineyard, typically around 85% Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc making up the remainder, though exact proportions vary by vintage and parcel selection. The estate employs 12 horses for plowing between March and November, and approximately one third of the vines are farmed using organic techniques. A 6,800 square meter permaculture kitchen garden supplies the estate's restaurant. Biodiversity is actively maintained through hedgerows and forested areas bordering the vineyards.

• Highest point of Saint-Émilion plateau, over 100 meters elevation; deep clay over limestone with flint fragments; southwest and south-facing slopes
• Approximately 37 hectares of classified vineyard, divided into up to 25 sub-terroirs; recent blends approximately 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc
• 12 horses used for vineyard work; approximately one third of vines farmed organically; biodiversity maintained through hedgerows and forest edges
• Second wine Château Mondot released since 1985; 95% of Mondot comes from the newly acquired parcels and is 100% Merlot grown on limestone soils

Grapes are harvested manually and transferred to a cool room overnight before destemming, a technique introduced under the new team to preserve freshness. Since the 2017 vintage, fermentation takes place in new temperature-controlled, truncated stainless steel vats, with fermentation temperatures capped at 26 degrees Celsius. Malolactic fermentation has taken place in tank rather than barrel since 2019, further supporting aromatic freshness. The 40 conical vats installed by 2020 allow meticulous plot-by-plot vinification. The grand vin is aged for 16 to 24 months in French oak barrels, of which roughly 65% are new, though this proportion decreases in lighter vintages; untoasted barrels are preferred to avoid masking fruit and terroir character. Some aging in larger foudre and amphora formats has been introduced since 2017. Sulfur additions are delayed until after fermentation is complete.

• Fruit cooled overnight before destemming; fermentation capped at 26 degrees Celsius in stainless steel conical vats
• Malolactic fermentation in tank since 2019; sulfur additions delayed until post-fermentation
• 16 to 24 months aging in French oak, approximately 65% new; untoasted barrels preferred; some aging in foudre and amphora since 2017
• 40 stainless steel conical vats operational from 2020 allow precise parcel-by-parcel vinification across up to 25 sub-terroirs

The 2005 vintage stands as the estate's most celebrated achievement, receiving a perfect 100 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, one of five Right Bank wines to receive this score that year, a recognition of Christine Valette's decades of quality-focused work. The 2009, a vintage Robert Parker called the greatest Bordeaux vintage in history, earned 99 points from the Wine Advocate, described as nearly overwhelming in richness and requiring 10 to 15 years of cellaring. The 2000 earned 96 points. Among more recent vintages made under the new ownership, the 2022 received scores of 97 to 100 from major critics including Jane Anson and Antonio Galloni, with a blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc aged in 55% new oak. Other highly regarded vintages include 1990, 1998, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

• 2005: 100 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, one of five wines receiving this score that year; a landmark of Christine Valette's tenure
• 2009: 99 points from Robert Parker; described as nearly overwhelming in richness, benefiting from 10 to 15 years of cellaring
• 2022: 97 to 100 points from multiple critics; blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc; raised in 55% new oak
• Other noted vintages include 1990, 1998, 2000, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, spanning two distinct house eras

The estate warmly welcomes visitors for private vineyard tours, vertical tastings, fine dining, and luxury stays. The restaurant Les Belles Perdrix holds one Michelin star and a Green Star for sustainable gastronomy in the 2025 Michelin Guide, with chef David Charrier drawing on a 6,800 square meter permaculture kitchen garden and local producers, 90% of whom are located within 30 minutes of the estate. The restaurant reopened in summer 2021 following extensive renovations. Luxury accommodation is available at Les Clefs, the estate's guesthouse nestled in the vineyards. Visitors can explore the grounds via Land Rover, watch the estate's dozen horses at work, and enjoy tastings of both the grand vin and the second wine, Château Mondot.

• Restaurant Les Belles Perdrix holds one Michelin star and a Green Michelin star for sustainability as of the 2025 guide; chef David Charrier leads the kitchen
• Luxury guesthouse Les Clefs offers accommodation within the estate vineyard at the highest point of Saint-Émilion
• Guided tours by Land Rover through the vineyards; vertical tastings of Troplong Mondot and Mondot available
• Estate horses at work from March to November; permaculture kitchen garden of 6,800 square meters supplies the restaurant