Chateau Trotanoy 2017

A lush, velvety Pomerol, dripping with raspberry, plum and cassis fruit aromas and flavors, infused with rooibos tea, sandalwood, mineral and bergamot notes. The finish is very long and finely beaded. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,290 cases made.

94–96. Barrel Sample. A seriously structured wine, this has firm tannins, dark rich fruit and great concentration. The black plum flavor is a counterpoint to the dry tannins and ample acidity. It obviously has excellent aging potential; drink from 2024.

Smoked rosemary oak on the nose, this is attractive and appealing with a concentrated but supple fruit expression of sweet raspberry flesh. It has Pomerol typicity, fresh acidities and lift through the finish that holds on. Less tannic than a typical Trotanoy vintage but it has complexity and interest. Well handled.

A very pure nose that exudes poise and precision, in every aspect of this wine’s composition. Aromas of violets, blueberries, cedar, fresh truffle, wet earth and plums lead to a palate that offers a very full, plush and intense core of pristinely ripened red-plum fruit and mouthwatering freshness, as well as tannins that imbue the long, balanced finish with great clarity. Incredible triumph for the vintage. Try from 2023.

In the vineyard, 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Very deep crimson. Scented with the purest of dark-red fruit. This has the same lovely dark finesse as the La Fleur-Pétrus just tasted but is perhaps very slightly less elegant at the moment, if even more persistent. Bone-dry, extremely fine tannin texture. All to come on this dark beauty. (JH)

The 2017 Trotanoy fulfills the promise it showed from barrel with an enticing, captivating mineral-driven bouquet, crushed rocks permeating the black fruit. Subtle aromas of black truffle and smoke emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, perfectly pitched acidity, fresh and vibrant. A very harmonious and sapid finish gets the saliva flowing. Quintessentially Trotanoy, expect up to 30 years drinking pleasure from one of Pomerol’s most consistent performers.

A star of the vintage, this is a stunner. If you are a Pomerol lover and you are not intimately familiar with Trotanoy, put it on your priority list. They have been on a hot streak for over two decades! And this one is pure decadence.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, discreet brightening on the rim. Fine red berry confit on the nose, hints of cherry, pleasant noble wood savouriness and nougat. Juicy, mineral palate, taut and tightly meshed with red berry fruit and fresh acidity. Secure future with good ageing potential.

The 2017 Chateau Trotanoy is 100% Merlot and comes from 7.2 hectares of gravelly, clay, and iron-laced soils on the plateau of Pomerol. Revealing a medium ruby/purple hue as well as powerful notes of creme de cassis, scorched earth, chocolate, graphite, and unsmoked tobacco, this beauty is full-bodied, has a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the classic, elegant, focused style of the vintage, it has more fruit and texture than most, is flawlessly balanced, and will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly for two decades or more. This showed much better from bottle than barrel and is well worth seeking out and cellaring.

Kunz Fassprobe 18: (90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc) Deep, dense, closed and complex bouquet with red and blue berries, dark chocolates, blackcurrant, tobacco, and a subtle touch of eucalyptus oil. Concentrated, powerful, aromatic palate with a velvety, finely opulent structure, intense dark fruit, lots of fine tannins, layered aromatics, and a very long, dense, aromatic finish.

(90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc) A deep, dense, closed and complex bouquet with red and blue berries, dark chocolates, blackcurrant, tobacco and a fine touch of eucalyptus oil. The palate is concentrated, powerful and aromatic, with a velvety, subtly opulent structure, intense dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins and great aromatic complexity. Very long, dense and aromatic finish. 19/20 2025 - 2050

The 2017 Trotanoy has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It needs a lot of swirling to unlock notes of baked black plums, blueberry pie, and juicy black cherries, plus wafts of licorice, tilled soil, oolong tea, and Sichuan pepper in the background. Full-bodied, the palate has a solid frame of fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness to match the concentrated black fruits, finishing long and layered.

As usual, this wine is better in bottle than en primeur. It is the vintage’s quiet strength, with a perfectly structured palate and great textural refinement.

In keeping with the finest successes of Pomerol, this wine bears the exceptional hallmark of its gravel and clay terroir, which responded magnificently to the year’s constraints. A Trotanoy of great substance, with imposing tannins. It will take time to come into its own.

The bouquet of Trotanoy is wonderfully fresh, revealing notes of mint and liquorice, followed by a touch of blond tobacco. With aeration, it gains in fruity intensity, bringing out hints of blueberries and blackberries. The attack is generous and compact. The freshness found on the nose carries through, joined by a broad, full palate supported by powerful tannins. These are in perfect harmony with the lively structure. The finish is fruity and persistent.

The nose is fruity and offers freshness, a touch of power, a fine texture, as well as a slightly airy feel. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry and fleshy raspberry, with a lighter hint of violet, alongside touches of small blue fruits and black plum, as well as hints of chocolate and nutmeg, and subtle notes of caramelisation. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral and well-balanced, offering a juicy/mineral core, good definition, a fine tension and precision. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry and fleshy blackcurrant, with a lighter hint of violet, alongside touches of fleshy raspberry as well as delicate touches of small blue fruits, liquorice, and hints of caramelisation and chocolate. The tannins are elegant.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Dark, intense, youthful colour. A great nose, complex and deep. Nuances of truffle, citrus fruit and crème fraîche. Delicate on the attack, finely mellow on the mid-palate, melting, with flavours that emerge between the mid-palate and the finish; the wine lingers long, sappy and charmingly sophisticated.