La Mondotte 2020

The story of La Mondotte is a Cinderella story if ever there was one.  Who would have thought this tiny, unclassified property in Saint-Émilion would eventually join the ranks of illustrious, star producers like Château Figeac and Château Canon La Gaffelière as a Premiere Grand Cru Classes estate? La Mondotte’s extraordinary turnaround is largely due to the hard work the von Neipperg family put into the property.  For oenophiles who love concentrated, intense, and mineral driven wines, look no further than this gem of a property in the Right Bank. 

The history of La Mondotte begins in the modern era when it was purchased by the von Neipperg family in 1971.  The von Neippergs are no stranger to the winemaking scene, having produced wine in portions of Germany for 800 years.  The von Neipperg family seems to have the Midas touch, having turned properties like Château Canon La Gaffelière into true standouts and exemplary expressions of Saint-Émilion terroir.  With all that in mind, La Mondotte was a bit of a late bloomer.  Though it was acquired the same time as some other von Neipperg estates, like Canon La Gaffelière and Clos de l'Oratoire, La Mondotte remained relatively obscure.  By 1989, the other estates mentioned were already producing knockout vintages simply because the von Neippergs had not directed their attention toward La Mondotte.  It wasn’t until 1995 when Stephan von Neipperg shifted his focus to the vineyards at La Mondotte that things started to turn around for the estate. 

Stephan von Neipperg prioritized cleaning the soils and moving to self-sustaining farming first because he believed the estate had the same potential as other Premiere Grand Cru Classés properties in Saint-Émilion.  They switched the practices over at the estate to biodynamic practices and implemented organic viticultural techniques.  As of 2014 La Mondotte was 100% Certified Organic.  With all that in mind, the most exciting part of this property’s journey was in 2012, when it was classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classe wine.  This is extremely rare for unclassified vineyards in the Right Bank region of Saint-Émilion.  In the entire history of the Saint-Émilion Classification, only one other wine made such a turnaround that it was granted this incredibly high honor. 

La Mondotte is a small, 4.5-hectare property that is planted with 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc.  La Mondotte has some famous neighbors, including Château Troplong Mondot and Château Larcis Ducasse.  The estate is located a stone’s throw east of the famous Saint-Émilion limestone plateau.  The terroir is mostly clay and silt with heavy limestone deposits in the soil.  Like its sibling, Château Canon La Gaffelière, La Mondotte has its share of old vines – some date as far back to 1939.  The wine is produced with whole berry fermentation in a gravity flow operation, and the wine is diligently crafted at very low yields.  This results in a stunning, mineral-driven wine that has enormous aging potential and can lay down for 12-15 years or more prior to reaching its fullest potential.  

"Just about pure perfection, the 2020 La Mondotte comes from a tiny parcel of limestone soils on the upper plateau, not far from Troplong Mondot. Mostly Merlot with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, its deep purple hue is followed by a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, crushed stone, graphite, mulled black cherries, and hints of truffle. Full-bodied, incredibly elegant yet also concentrated and flawlessly balanced, it's as good as anything in the vintage. Give bottles 4-6 years in the cellar, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades." - Jeb Dunnuck, (03/30/2023), Ratings: 99

"The 2020 La Mondotte is fabulous. Rich, heady and exotic, the 2020 offers up copious blackberry, blueberry, mocha, licorice, lavender and spice, with more savory and mineral notes that appear over time. Like all of Stephan von Neipperg's 2020s, La Mondotte marries fruit intensity and structure in brilliant style. As always, La Mondotte is a pretty full throttle Saint-Émilion, but the excesses of the past have been tamed." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (02/24/2023), Ratings: 97

"I typically have a weakness for Canon-la-Gaffelière, with its high percentage of Cabernet Franc, in the Von Neipperg portfolio. But this year, it's the 2020 La Mondotte that takes center stage, offering up aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice, incense and vine smoke, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and vibrant palate of striking harmony and concentration. It's the most seamless, complete wine I've ever tasted from this brilliant clay-limestone terroir." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/06/2023), Ratings: 96