A look over to Trotanoy from a neighboring vineyard, Gombaude Guillot - November 2021
This property has a rich history dating back to the 17th century, when it was established by the Fontemoing family. In the mid-20th century, it was owned by the Giraud family, and later, it was sold to the Pecresse family after World War II. In 1953, Jean-Pierre Moueix became the new owner.
The vineyard's size has fluctuated over the years due to various reasons, such as parcels being sold off and inheritance issues. While the property covered around 25 hectares in the 19th century, it had been reduced to 11 hectares by 1929. Today, Trotanoy encompasses approximately 7.2 hectares.
Trotanoy is located in the Pomerol district, just outside the eastern part known as "Le Plateau Argileux," where clay and "crasse de fer" (iron dirt) are prevalent. The vineyard borders the north hamlet of Bourgneuf and the Chemin de La Cabanne road to the east.
Contrary to some media reports, Trotanoy is not adjacent to its famous neighbor, Petrus, as they are approximately 1.8 km apart. Trotanoy is easily identifiable by the alley leading to the property, which is lined with cypress trees.
The soil at Trotanoy consists of gravel on heavy black clay mixed with gravel and iron dirt. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with vines averaging 35 years old. The wine undergoes traditional vinification in small concrete vats and then spends 16-18 months in 50% new barrels.
Additionally, a second wine, Esperance de Trotanoy, is occasionally produced, primarily from 100% Merlot sourced from select parcels.
As of 2018, I had collected 23 vintages of Trotanoy, the oldest being 1916. Before the tasting in Copenhagen in March 2020, I purchased a bottle of 1964 Trotanoy, which replaced 1986 in the lineup.
Trotanoy is highly regarded and known for producing robust, elegant, and long-lasting wines that are considered among the finest in Bordeaux.
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2023 (barrel sample) 97-98p
Tasted in April 2024. 100% Merlot. It has an intense aroma of wild cherries, violets, dark chocolate, and coffee bean notes. The wine is juicy and fleshy yet elegant on the palate, with great complexity, mid-palate, and strong structure. It needs several decades to age. In terms of quality, it is just behind the 2022 vintage.
2022 (barrel sample) 98-100p
Tasted in April 2023. 96% Merlot + 4% C. Franc. 14.7% alcohol. Dense color, intense nose of violets, black cherries, dark chocolate, black winter truffle, great complexity, midpalate, and length. Strong mineral finish. Outstanding effort.
2021 (barrel sample) 95-96p
Tasted in April 2022. 100% Merlot. Dense color, robust approach, floral nose of violets, crunchy raspberries and dark chocolate, black winter truffle, great structure, midpalate, and length. Strong mineral finish. Outstanding effort.
2018 (barrel sample) 99p
Tasted in April 2019. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. A huge, colossal wine with lots of everything, thick, luscious, dense, and stunning complexity and length. It's simply a mind-boggling effort!
2017 96-97p
Tasted in October 2019. Intense blackberries/raspberries, elegant and sublime, sophisticated, excellent structure and complexity, not a powerhouse but finesse and subtlety here. Decadent stuff.
2016 98+p
Tasted in October 2018. It had a thick aroma of superbly intense black cherries and blackberries, exceptional purity and precision, velvety tannin, and an ultralong and coating aftertaste that lasted more than 30 seconds. Bull's eye!!
2015 97p
I tasted it twice, the last time in March 2020. Consistent notes. It's a fat wine with a thick texture, gobs of fruit and tannin, the bright scent of terroir (crasse de fer—iron dirt), truffles, outstanding balance, and great length. It's a great, great vintage for the property. The bottle tasted in March 2020 was stand A.
2014 94p
Tasted in March 2020. Not the perfect showing right now, and it looked like this bottle suffered very slightly from oxidation. It is a bit edgy, tannic, concentrated with firm acidity, and needs time to soften. It's a young Trotanoy that has closed its doors for several years. I acquired it together with 2015, 2012, 2010, and 2009 from the same Danish wine merchant who gets Trotanoy directly from ETS. Jean-Pierre Moueix. Stand A.
2012 95p
Tasted in March 2020. Intense raspberry drops are powerful yet elegant, dense structures refined with splendid complexity. Fresh and with marked acidity, which keeps everything together and chic. Young and vibrant wine, which is 10-15 years old, is a great delicacy to drink. Stand A.
2010 98p
Tasted in March 2020. You look at 2005 and 2000 on the same flight and compare both to this one (2010). 2000 was slightly less intense than 2010, and 2005 had less fine tannin than 2010. The truth is that they were similar and had the same fantastic quality all three! Stand A.
2010 Esperance de Trotanoy (Trotanoy's second wine) 92p
Tasted in March 2020. 100% Merlot. Tasted blind with 2010 (Grand Vin), 2005, and 2000. Very aromatic nose of black cherries/blueberries, straightforward wine, dark chocolate, and cocoa scent, focused and well-balanced. Silky texture and smooth, lingering finish. Drinks exceptionally well right now. Stand A.
2009 95p
Tasted in March 2020, it competed with 2015 and 1998 in the flight and was a challenging ride! These two vintages outdid it and felt a bit diluted compared with its competitors. It was splendidly put together, very complex, and lengthy, but for me, it lacked a bit of excitement, fatness, and intensity from 2015 and 1998. Stand A.
2008 97p
Tasted in March 2020. A clear winner of the flight. Very strong and concentrated with gobs of dark cherries and truffles, all controlled by acidity, high complexity, and depth. Refined and sophisticated with stupendous length. Stunningly sublime wine. Stand A.
2005 97p
Tasted in March 2020. Fat, dense, powerful, cherry, an iron fist in the velvet glove, concentrated and intense, strong backbone, great complexity, and length. Long finish. So typical for the vintage! Stand A.
2004 94p
Tasted in March 2020. So typical for the vintage: a tannic profile, tightness, strong iron structure, and copious cherry fruit with a truffy scent. A very balanced wine, which needs more than ten years to soften. The future is more than bright. Stand A.
2001 95p
Tasted in March 2020. This bottle, as well as 2004 and 2008, were purchased from a very reliable wine shop in mid-France; bottles came directly to it from Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix and were stored in perfect condition. Aromatic with a splendid intensity of black fruit and cherries. Sophisticated and elegant, delicious, and very potent with great complexity. Silky texture. There are many years to go. Delightful effort. Stand A.
2000 98p
Tasted in March 2020. It was a great bottle from a magnificent vintage. Competed with Trotanoy 2010, Esperance de Trotanoy 2010, and Trotanoy 2005 in the same flight. It was incredible and exciting to compare some of Bordeaux's most exceptional vintages to date! This wine was super confident, dressed in truffles and black cherries, extraordinarily refined and sophisticated, and had a strong backbone, significant depth, great complexity, and length. Stand A-A/B.
1998 98p
Tasted in March 2020. Fat, ironclad truffles, plenty of perfectly ripe fruit and grained tannin, tons of black cherries, impressive structure, complexity, and length. Sophisticated and utterly remarkable wine! At least 25 more years to live, if not much longer! Purchased en primeur in Denmark for a ludicrous amount of 66 Euros per bottle in 1999. Only one travel for this wine - from France to Denmark. Stand A.
1990 95p
I tasted it in March 2020. It showed all the goodies associated with the character of this vintage, which was very successful in Pomerol. Strong and potent, it was well-equipped with black cherries and truffles. It has a silky texture and excellent balance. It is deep and refined, with unique complexity and length. It has a long finish and a long life. Impressive stuff. Stand A-A/B.
1985 93p
Tasted in March 2020. It was a big harvest in Bordeaux in this vintage. I was in Bordeaux during harvest, and the grapes were big but in excellent condition. Yield per ha around Bordeaux reached 70 hl at many estates. This vintage suffers a bit of dilution, but on the whole, it's a pretty, feminine wine, graceful and tasty, cherries and grated chocolate, well-balanced and with a smooth fruity finish. Stand B.
1983 96p
Tasted in March 2020. The big surprise here. Sourced from a winemerchant in Holland, it was an epic wine. I put in the flight together with 1970 and 1978. 1983 had blown wines both far, far away down the road. You might think this wine differed from its one-year younger brother from a more famous vintage (1982)? Think again! It was almost equally impressive! Powerful, youthful, stunning depth and complexity, and silky. Stand A.
1982 98p
Tasted in March 2020. Bull's eye! This bottle did catch my attention immediately. It is strong and compact with an aura of sophisticated touch, luscious cherry fruit, truffles, and chocolate, silky texture, extraordinarily structured and long. Simply an impressive bottle to taste! Stand B/C.
1978 90p
Tasted in March 2020. Delicious wine, but that's it. It didn't challenge the other wines in the tasting simply because it lacked their intensity, concentration, and depth. It is elegant, round, and tasty but also starting to be well past its peak. Stand B/C.
1975 97p
Tasted in March 2020. Very close to 1971 and 1964 in terms of power, structure, and length. Great, great complexity, richness, and sophisticated touch. Utterly impressive wine with still many years left in the tank. Stand B.
1971 97p
Tasted in March 2020. Accompanied in the same flight by 1964, 1966, and 1975. As spectacular wine as 1964! Same description, little difference in style, and very typical wine for this property. 10-15 years more in the cellar, for sure. Stand B.
1970 94p
Tasted in March 2020. A lighter version of 1971 also showed more age. 1971 vintage is considered a better one on the Right Bank than 1970. However, there was nothing to complain about here because finesse, elegance, and an adequate portion of black cherries with truffles were present to please the taster. At its peak now. Stand A-A/B.
1966 92p
Tasted in March 2020. A bit edgy and showed little fruit. It's a typical wine for this vintage that isn't "friendly" and open for business. However, the structure, balance, depth, and length are in the right place. Stand B/C.
1964 97p
Tasted in March 2020. It turned out to be a fabulous example of Trotanoy. Fat and dense, with a very intense nose of black cherries and truffles, packed with fruit and a good portion of grained tannin. Strong backbone, great complexity, sophisticated and long, long finish. It's hard to believe that this wine is only 56 years old because it tasted younger than that! Stand B.
1916 84p
Tasted in March 2020. A true rarity, I have to say. It was an old heavy Bordeaux bottle, the label muggy and not that readable. I don't think it was a chateau bottling and looked like a negociant one. Little fruit, a bit medicinal, still some truffles left. More curiosity than a bottle of genuine wine. Stand D.
