Château Troplong Mondot, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion,

Alexandre Valette, a Parisian vintner, bought the estate crafted by Raymond Troplong. He already owned Château La France in Fronsac and would soon acquire Château Pavie. In 1980 Alexandre’s great grand daughter, Christine, took over the estate and was joined, 10 years later, by her husband, Xavier Pariente. Together they continue to improve and embellish the vineyard, cellar and chateau. This hard work and their efforts proved worthwhile when in 2006 Troplong Mondot was awarded 1er Grand Cru Classé status. Troplong-Mondot overlooks the whole of Saint-Émilion and with its thirty-three (33) hectares, it is one of the biggest estates in the appellation of Saint-Émilion. Generally the soil of Saint-Émilion is clay and limestone based but Troplong Mondot is lucky enough to have special silex and chalk sediments which help to give the wine its lustrous hue and its rich concentration. The vineyard is managed in the traditional manner and neither weed killers, chemical fertilisers nor insecticides are used. These wines are powerful and well-structured with rich complex tannins, which open with time to deep aromas of truffle and blackberry.