Thanks.
I have not had the 99 La Mondotte but had 96, 97, 98, 00, 01, 03, 04, 05 and 06.are very concentrated wine but not over done, ie not overripe fruit even in 2003, very hedonistic. Stephane Derenoncourt believes in Terroir although La Mondotte is very modern. In our recent 96 Bordeaux tasting, some of the tasters gave the wine 100 pts. La Mondottes are highly concentrated wines that show extremely well at their youth but tend to matured quicker than the left bank counterparts, e.g. the 96 is drinking perfectly now. BTW, if you got the offer this morning from a retailer, you can purchase this cheaper at an auction although they usually come as a case lot.
Hope this helps.
I last tried the '96 La Mondotte in mid-August 2007 at one of my small group’s Blind Bordeaux Challenges. It is a very showy wine, for sure. My notes from that evening (all red wines tasted blind) are as follows:
Wine#4 - One of the most forward noses, eager to please. I eventually decided #1’s bouquet as the best because it was more distinctive and exotic. Rich mouthfeel, bigger wine than wines #2 and #3, with notes of sweet cedar, red berries, mocha and vanilla. Good middle. Finish was longer than #2. Designed for blind tastings, I thought to myself.
Notably, when I tasted through the 2005s at Canon la Gaffelière in July 2006, I specifically discussed the '98 La Mondotte with Stephan von Neipperg. He told me to make sure to try his '96. He was clearly very proud of that vintage of his.
