The 2014 Troplong-Mondot performed to my expectation now that the wine is in bottle. It has a refined bouquet with black cherries, raspberry preserve and mineral scents that gain intensity in the glass, but never get carried away. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, tensile in the mouth but surprisingly linear and conservative, at least in the first half. It is fresh and precise, then delivers the weight and concentration as it fans out on the finish, a residue of white pepper tingling on the aftertaste. This is a delicious Troplong Mondot that should age with style and grace.

Deep in color, the wine is round, concentrated and loaded with dark chocolate covered cherries and plums, smoke, licorice and truffle. With depth of flavor, intensity and richness, this is a full bodied effort that will reward a decade in the cellar, before everything really comes together here.