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

A powerful vintage, making this a real test of the 'new regime' at Troplong. You can feel the power struggle between rich ripe fruit, liqourice and cocoa bean against fresher strands of eucalyptus, rosemary, turmeric and sage, and the push-and-pull of this combat makes for a fascinating wine. Delivers shape and momentum, and brings in a much-needed shot of fresh mint and aloe juice on the finish. A wine with power, impact and architecture, buoyed up rather than weighed down by tannic structure and ripe fruit. 60% new oak, Thomas Duclos consultant.

The 2018 Troplong Mondot has a deep garnet purple color. It is a little closed to begin, with delicate scents of kirsch, warm blackberries, and lavender, plus cedar, pencil shavings, and tilled soil. Full-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy with very tightly wound fruits and a long, slightly warm finish.

The 2018 Troplong Mondot takes its time to unfold; this particular sample was afforded 90 minutes to open. It then reveals its exquisitely defined bouquet of black cherries, shucked oyster shells and black currant leaf. It is transparent, almost Burgundian in style. The palate is beautifully defined with fine-boned tannins and wonderful tension and mineralité. You can feel the limestone terroir percolating through this Saint-Émilion, and it retains captivating spiciness on the almost crystalline finish. This is one of the finest Troplongs in recent years, and it has a long and prosperous future ahead.