Chateau La Mondotte 1Er Grand Cru Classe B 2016 0,75l

JAMES SUCKLING: “So much black truffle and blueberry on the nose. Decadent and aromatic. Wet soil. Indian ink. Full-bodied, polished and so velvety with fantastic depth of fruit and ripe tannins, yet powerful and fresh. Slightly minerally and salty underneath.”

ROBERT PARKER – THE WINE ADVOCATE: “The 2016 La Mondotte is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc this year, picked between 29 September and 15 October and matured in 70% new oak. The alcohol level is around 14.5%. It has a lucid purple hue in the glass. The bouquet is very perfumed, very pure with luscious red cherries, blueberry and a hint of sloes, the new oak discrete and allowing the terroir to shine through perhaps more than the 2015 last year. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, but underneath the bonnet, there is considerable tannic backbone that certainly can be felt more towards the finish that exerts a light grip. In a strange way, it reminds me a little of Château Canon! Give this 4-5 years once in bottle. – Neal Martin”

WINE SPECTATOR: “This shows a dark, toasty style at first, with notes of ganache and plum reduction, but it unwinds steadily and slowly, revealing pure cassis, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors gilded liberally with violet and anise accents. The long finish is laced with a superfine chalky minerality that imparts mouthwatering cut even as the fruit gains steam. Best from 2023 through 2038. – James Molesworth”

FALSTAFF: “Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, fester Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, Schwarzkirsche. Satte Dichte am Gaumen, linear, stoffig zupackend, eindringlich Kalk-mineralisch. Am Gaumen mit Respekt gebietender Körnigkeit, die mineralisch gekoppelt ist. Das körnige Tannin überdeckt die Viskosität und umgekehrt. Noch kompakt und nahezu unscheinbar, wird gigantisch reifen. – Peter Moser”