La Mondotte 2019 (750ML)

99 JD / 97-99 LPB / 98 FS / 97 JS / 97 WCI / 96 WS / 95+ VM / 95 WA / 16.5 JR

A gorgeous wine, yet one that's going to demand bottle age, the 2019 La Mondotte comes from a tiny vineyard located just beside Pavie Decesse and is always a blend of mostly Merlot with 15-30% new French oak. Mulled blackcurrants, darker cherries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, lead pencil, and burning ember-like nuances all emerge from this brilliant wine, and it's full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, with good acidity, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It holds onto the more classic, focused style of the vintage, yet it's a beast of a wine that brings the goods. Hide bottles for a solid 7-8 years or more, count yourself lucky, and it's going to have 30-40 years of longevity.- Jeb Dunnuck

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 La Mondotte needs a little coaxing before bursting onto the scene with flamboyant scents of plum pudding, blueberry compote, blackberry pie and red roses. Further swirling reveals provocative, emerging notes of sandalwood, cracked black pepper, baker's chocolate, unsmoked cigars and crushed rocks plus a waft of black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in poise and sophistication, featuring the most exquisitely ripe, velvety tannins and amazing freshness, beautifully countering the intense blue and black fruit layers, finishing with epic length and loads of mineral sparks. Breathtaking! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

Dark ruby ​​garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate floral background, ripe heart kish fruit, mineral touch, a touch of precious wood and candied orange zest. Juicy, ripe cherries, red berry nuances, silky tannins, extremely fine structure, salty nuances, has a delicate, almost Pomeranian character, lingers for a long time, already very seductive, a wine full of charm and class.-Peter Moser, Falstaff

This has a fragrant nose of blackberries, red tea, cloves, bark, orange zest and dark chocolate. Sandalwood and tile, too. Full-bodied with chewy yet supple tannins and fresh acidity. Seamless and rich. Long and muscular. Try from 2027. - James Suckling

The 2019 La Mondotte is a massive, imposing wine. Huge tannins wrap around a core of blackberry jam, graphite, crushed rocks, menthol, chocolate and licorice. It will be interesting to see if the 2019 softens at all, or if it remains a behemoth. I would like to see a bit more finesse. Power alone is interesting only to a point -  Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Aromas of smoky blackberries, black truffles, pipe tobacco, loamy soil and rose petals introduce the 2019 La Mondotte, a medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety wine that's lively and gourmand, with a rich core of fruit that's framed by beautifully polished tannins. This Merlot-dominant cuvée derives from vineyards on the plateau neighboring Troplong-Mondot, but the soils are shallower here, without the same reserves of deep clay. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Dark garnet. Ripe and gently maturing from primary to tertiary notes but plenty of black plum at the core. A hint of leather. Ripe but a bit chewy on the palate. Not quite enough freshness for harmony and a bit of heat on the finish.-Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson