1995 Château Troplong-Mondot

70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vines are planted on a clay-limestone plateau at a density of 5,600 vines/ha for old vines, 6,600 vines/ha for young vines. Average vine age is 50 years. Vines were debudded in spring and deleafed and thinned out in July, in order to achieve optimal ripeness of grapes. Manual harvest took place 20 – 25 Sept for Merlot, 2 – 3 Oct for the Cabernets. Traditional vinification in small stainless steel, temperature controlled vats lasting 21 – 28 days with regular pumpovers. 83% of final blend was aged in new oak barrels for 15 months. Winemaker Michel Rolland. Earthy and rich, but with a certain degree of restraint too. Classic and complex, with a lovely stage of maturity on display, although the tannins are still quite keen. Doesn’t score well for quality:price ratio, mind. (RH)