2017 Mondot

The last time I saw Aymeric de Gironde was up in Saint-Estèphe at Cos d’Estournel, when I was maintaining my poker face as the 2016 blew me away. Twelve months later, I did not expect to see him at Troplong-Mondot. But as I said, Bordeaux moves fast these days and his was just one of a number of personnel changes in the Bordeaux merry-go-round. He certainly seemed a happy chap in his new role. On the day I visited, he was busy blowing up balloons for that evening’s soirée for négoçiants before it closes to commence refurbishment. “I was here on the first day of the harvest. That was my first day,” de Gironde told me, putting the finishing touches to one of those long sausage balloons that takes an entire afternoon to blow up. “I came a few weeks before visiting the vineyard and I felt it was important that we start quite early. So we began the picking on 18 September and cropped at 40hl/ha. Fortunately we had not suffered frost damage apart from a tiny part towards the north where there is a cool wind. That may be a week before what might have normally done.” It is evident that Aymeric de Gironde was not appointed to maintain the status quo.
“I want a few things to be different. I think we have one of the most unique terroirs in the area because we occupy one of the highest points. There is a circle that consists of non-eroded clay and large stones with flint. This is rather unique. Then there is the terroir on the outside of the estate where you have limestone and several layers of clay. When I looked at the map, we have one of the most heterogeneous terroirs in the area, so it was important for me to decide in terms of picking, how we exploit each of these different areas. So we push it to the extreme but have a very non-intrusive vinification in terms of remontage and oxygen ingress, to work on the aromatic precision of each parcel so that they differ from each other. Then we work on the blending, which is where the complexity comes from. The idea is to have fresh clean aromatics. The power is already there and it is not necessary to exaggerate it, you don’t have to force anything. I am looking for a contained power. We have hired Thomas Duclot as a consultant. In the future we will be doing the malolactic in tank instead of barrel, brought in three new barrel makers to have more variety and reduced the amount of new oak to around 65% instead of 90 to 100%.”

The result is a Troplong Mondot cut from a different cloth to previous vintages. Same pattern – different feel. I have criticized recent vintages of Troplong Mondot because frankly, when the scales tip 16 percent alcohol, then to use de Gironde’s own vernacular, you are just exaggerating what you already have, glossing over attributes with otiose winemaking. And credit to former own Xavier Pariente. He always took my occasional battering in good spirit and you know, deep down I think he knew I was making a valid point. Troplong will always be dear to my heart because it was the first château I ever dined at back in 1997 with the late Christine Vallette. And in a way, I felt that it has never quite discovered what it is, what it can be and consequently pandered to fashion. That will not be the case under Aymeric de Gironde. He told me that the owners have essentially given him Carte Blanche to refashion Troplong Mondot and have little doubt it will become one of the top Saint-Émilions within a decade. The 2017 is a great start. It’s not the best wine they will ever produce; yet it is a clear statement that a new chapter has opened. And with that, I let Aymeric de Gironde continue blowing up his balloons. He only had another 200 to go.