Home » Listed Chateaux » Troplong Mondot

Dominating the entire village of Saint Emilion and its surrounding lands from the North-East, the Mondot hill rises to more than 100 m. In a region where most properties hardly exceed 10 hectares, Château Troplong Mondot with its 30 hectares is one of the “big” Saint Emilion estates. To the south-west its vineyard covers the plateau overlooking the village, and to the south the steep slope up to the limits of Chateau Pavie.   The origins of the estate can be traced back to the 18th century when Abbé de Sèze constructed the château in 1745. The Sèze family was on of the most prestigious of the Bordeaux’ area gentry and owned many other estates. It was particularly illustrious in providing Louis XVI with his personal lawyer, Raymond de Sèze. Under the aegis of the Abbé, Mondot won its place among the cream of the St Émilion wines.    The vineyard is planted with Merlot (90%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). The soil is composed of thick limestone rock below the layer of soft clay and the underground water present in the subsoil combine to give the old Troplong Mondot vines the limited fertility necessary for great vintages. This is what gives the wine its firm body and powerful tannins. This clayey-calcareous soil, typical of the classified vintages of Saint Émilion, is mixed with sedimentary fragments of silex and limestone. Perhaps it is to this original ingredient that the wine’s splendid ruby colour and fine concentration can be attributed. The estate produces a second label called “Mondot”  Appellation: Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Areas under Vine: 30 hectares Average Annual Production: 3,000 cases per annum Soil: clay-limestone Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (10%) Ageing: 12-24 months in 70% new oak barrels Top Vintages: 1989, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2005