La Mondotte 2025

Château La Mondotte is a small biodynamic property in Saint-Émilion, on the right bank of Bordeaux. The vines sit on a plateau of silty clay topsoil over limestone subsoil, a combination that holds water through dry spells and lends the wine its freshness and a chalky, mineral undertone. The blend leads with Merlot for flesh and dark fruit, with Cabernet Franc adding lift, red-fruit perfume and a savoury, leafy edge. After fermentation the wine spends eighteen months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens the tannins and the malolactic conversion rounds the acidity into a supple texture. The colour is deep ruby. The nose is precise, with raspberry and strawberry to the fore, then plum, earth and cedar from the barrel. The palate is medium to full bodied, with fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish carrying tobacco and oak spice. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead to open the aromatics. It suits roast lamb, beef and game, and earthy dishes such as mushroom risotto.