Clear salinity, this grips with a dual character of seduction alongside precision. Estate signature in that it has coiled power with its berry fruits and cocoa notes, with a chalky depth to the tannins reflecting the clay and limestone soils. Complex and rich, but conserving its energy. The hidden power is perhaps the biggest difference with the old Troplong pre-2017, when they were happy to show the power right from the start. There are a lot of layers going on here, real complexity that is in no hurry to reveal itself. A creaminess comes in as the texture widens and softens. High alcohol despite earlier picking dates, because the terroir is the boss here! 3.55pH, tannin index of 70IPT. Thomas Duclos consultant. 96 points

The 2019 Troplong Mondot is a blend this year of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 10th to the 25th of September. The pH is 3.55—pretty incredible when you consider the alcohol is nearly 15%! I hasten to add that from tasting, I would have guessed this was 14.3% to 14.5% alcohol. It is the kind of wine with so much energy it practically does pirouettes on your palate. Opaque purple-black colored, the nose is fantastically floral, bursting from the glass with notes of candied violets, red roses and lavender over a core of plum preserves, wild blueberries and black raspberries with touches of garrigue, tilled soil, wild fungi and crushed rocks plus a waft of powdered cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate is like a tightly coiled spring, featuring beautifully knit layers of black and red fruits, earth and floral notes within a firm, fine-grained frame and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. This is a far cry from the old-school style of Troplong Mondot from a few years back, and it is incredibly impressive. This wine is aging in French oak barriques, some larger vats, and a small proportion is in amphorae. The oak portion is 60% new. 96-98 points

The 2019 Troplong Mondot needs an hour or two to settle and coalesce in the glass. As has been well documented, this is a reconfigured `TM` compared to those a decade ago - less flamboyant and ostentatious. Indeed, once it has shaken off that introspection, it unfurls with mainly black fruit, briary, sous-bois, hints of dark chocolate and mocha, perhaps one of the first Troplongs that I have encountered that is reminiscent of Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins. This is beautifully balanced with extremely well judged acidity. Its gentle personality belies the backbone of this Troplong, with touches of white pepper and tobacco toward the cerebral finish. It is a wonderful Saint-Emilion from Aymeric de Gironde and his team, more approachable than the 2018, to be frank, just a wine you are going to want to drink. 95-97 points

Cool and contained with floral and dark-fruit notes. Cassis as it opens. Delightful texture. Silkier than Mondot and less chalky but fresh and terroir-driven. Juicy, saline, the tannins channelled to give length and drive. Clean, firm finish. 17.5 points