La Mondotte is a name most wine people associate with 1996, when Stephan von Neipperg bottled the parcel separately for the first time and it became one of Saint-Émilion's most argued-about wines. This bottle is thirteen years older than that, from the era when the Mondotte lieu-dit — a small rise of limestone and clay east of the village, up near Troplong Mondot — was simply another Saint-Émilion holding.
What that means for a buyer is straightforward. This is a genuine 1983 Saint-Émilion, Merlot-led, from a good if unheralded corner of the côtes, sold on the strength of its year rather than on a modern reputation it predates. 1983 was warm on the Right Bank and produced wines that matured early and have been resting ever since.
The label is sound and the fill sits at the base of the neck. It is a direct way to put the right year on the table.
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Producer: Château La Mondotte
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Vintage: 1983
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Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. This is a mature and likely delicate Saint-Émilion whose best drinking was some years ago, and it is sold as a collectible item without a guarantee of how it will taste.
Who it suits. Works for a 1983 birthday or anniversary as a talking point: the year on the label, and a name that Saint-Émilion made famous a decade after this wine was made.
Condition. Good label, with the wine filling to the base of the neck, which is normal and healthy for a forty-three-year-old Bordeaux.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
