Château Troplong Mondot St Emilion Grand Cru Grand Cru Classé 2002

Touches of reduction on the first moments, with dominant confident tannins that fill out through the mid palate even while they close things down on the finish. This is an architectural wine, it reflects the terroir and reminds me once again that I never really understood Troplong until I had walked the vineyards and seen the clay that sits over the limestone. As it opens, salty cracker salinity comes in, a signature of Troplong, and this is ready to drink, although still with a good decade or more ahead of it. As ever, under the previous owners, I feel Troplong does better in the slightly more challenging years, when nature reins in the excess but the excellence of the site still speaks. 100% new oak, Michel Rolland consultant.