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."

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. — JS"