Chateau Troplong Mondot 2005

The Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Troplong Mondot is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. It was emotional tasting this wine, thinking of the late Christine Valette, who made this compelling wine while battling with considerable courage against an insidious disease. It is a great effort and a superstar of the vintage. Dense purple, it offers notes of white chocolate, blackberry, cassis and licorice as well as a hint of truffle and some subtle background oak. Full-bodied, multi-layered, and spectacularly pure and rich, it is a tour de force, and a great tribute to an incredible woman. Remarkably youthful, this wine probably needs another 4-8 years of bottle age, and should keep for 20 or more years. Kudos to the late Christine Valette!"

The Wine Cellar Insider: "This could be the best wine made in the history of Troplong Mondot. It has all the depth, power, concentration, fruit and ripeness you could ask for, but there is ample acidity here, so you get the freshness and lift needed to make this pop. I like it today, but another 3 years or so will a lot to the wine."

Lisa Perrotti-Brown: "The 2005 Troplong Mondot is deep garnet, with a touch of brick, in color. It storms out of the glass with powerful notes of plum pudding, black cherry preserves, and blueberry pie, giving way to hints of mint tea, unsmoked cigars, and star anise, with a touch of fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is dense and muscular, with loads of savory layers and a very firm, grainy texture, finishing with a refreshing mineral burst. It could use a few more years in bottle."

Jane Anson: "We tasted two versions of the 2005 here, one double decanted and one opened just before the tasting. First up double decanted, and it is immediately clear that there is still vibrancy to the ruby-red colour, with dawn-rose hints around the edges. Fennel, rosemary, sage, white pepper, white truffle, grilled sandalwood, cedar, a generous, broad-shouldered, nuanced and spice-filled wine. The oak clamps in halfway through the palate and slightly overpowers things, so I suggest still giving this another few years before drinking. This character is even more true in the just-opened version, with the emphasis on cocoa beans, espresso, rosemary and black pepper spice. Strongly suggest giving it a double decant if opening any time soon. 100% new oak, Michel Rolland consultant."

Wine Spectator: "Exhibits aromas of coffee, ripe fruit, wild mushroom and blackberry. Dark and very complex. Full-bodied and chewy, yet velvety and beautiful, with intense flavors of blackberry, chocolate and tobacco. Very, very long This is layered and gorgeous. Best after 2016. 6,250 cases made."

Jancis Robinson: "Instant complexity and breadth on the nose – leather, earth, flint, dark chocolate, mushroom. Heady, rich nose. Still-grippy tannin, although it is open enough to drink now. Powerful and built for the long distance."

Weinwisser: "Dunkles tiefes Granat mit lila Schimmer. Intensives, nach schwarzem Kirschenkompott duftendes Bouquet, intensiv, auch rauchig und tiefgründig. Fester, satter Gaumen, erst aussen mit Schmelz, dann innen hart zupackend, viel Heidelbeeren in sich tragend, verlangende Konzentration mit einer noch fordernden Adstringenz. Ein ganz grosser oder (wie schon oft) ein ganz harter Troplong? Falls der Wein die Tannine verdauen kann, trifft Ersteres zu, und in fünf Jahren kommen noch zwei Punkte dazu."