La Mondotte

La Mondotte's roots date back to the 19th century, but although much of the current vineyard was planted before the First World War, the estate as it is known today was born from a much more recent history. Château La Mondotte was bought by the Neipperg family in 1971, at the same time as neighboring Canon-La-Gaffelière, and remained in the shadows until the mid-1990s when Stephan von Neipperg embarked on an extreme makeover: a new château, winemaking facilities and special cellars.

With the help of renowned oenologist Stephane Derenoncourt, yields were reduced, new oak was introduced, the fertile clay-limestone terroir was fully exploited and the 1996 vintage (released simply as La Mondotte, heralding a new start for the estate) received with enormous critical acclaim. A string of great vintages since then have helped La Mondotte rise from an unranked position straight to the Premier Grand Cru Classé (B) in the 2012 Saint Emilion classification, heralding the birth of a new iconic Bordeaux. La Mondotte's vines are on average 50 years old, on the limestone slopes above Pavie Decesse, and produce fewer than 10,000 bottles per year.