Parker 94 punten Drink Date: 2011 - 2032 Another brilliant effort from a small, 45-year-old vineyard on the clay and limestone plateau above Pavie and Pavie Decesse, this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc was cropped at 30 hectoliters per hectare. A classically structured St.-Emilion, it boasts an opaque purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of black raspberries, creme de cassis, blueberries, espresso roast, and pen ink. Huge tannin, massive body, and tremendous richness as well as depth suggest it will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 20-25. About the estate Belonging to the same owner as Château Canon-la-Gaffelière and Clos de l'Oratoire, the famous cuvée la Mondotte, produced since the 1996 vintage, is one of the most famous garage wines in Bordeaux. From this vintage, Stephan von Neipperg, in collaboration with consultant oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt, wanted to make the most of this terroir located on the eastern plateau of Saint-Emilion, near Troplong Mondot: soil work conducive to microbial life, organic amendments, grass cover, reduced yields thanks to disbudding, stemming, leaf stripping and green harvesting. In addition, a meticulous harvest and full aging in new barrels now make Mondotte one of the most concentrated wines in Bordeaux. You should know that, around fifty years old, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines extend over 4.5 hectares (a very small area on the scale of the regional average) and benefit from the influence of clay, limestone and silt soils resting on a rocky subsoil. They can sink deep into its draining and perfectly exposed soils.