Chateau Trotanoy 2020

Already one of the wines of the vintage En Primeur; now, in bottle, simply perfect. A magnificent nose, a perfume like no other: floral notes, dark fruit, blood orange, raspberries, tobacco. Concentrated, dense, remarkably compact and focused, a wall of the finest tannins; sensationally crisp fruit, full of energy and tension, with a never-ending finish. Pomerol in perfection.

Delivers a beam of alluring and lush mulberry, raspberry and black currant puree flavors while maintaining form and focus, with an underpinning of warm paving stone and humus for spine as well as focusing tobacco and alder accents along the edges. Clearly marked by the vintage, but with density and definition that differentiate this from the pack. Best from 2026 through 2040. 1,600 cases made, 163 cases imported.

94–96. Barrel Sample. The wine is floral as well as rich, perfumed black currant fruits that show strongly on the dense palate. It is structured, and concentrated; promising aging as well as juicy fruits now.

A sure fire hit in 2020 and one of my absolute favourites of the vintage. Perfumed black cherries, roses and dark chocolate on the nose: ripe and fresh aromas. The crystalline fruit purity and finesse is wonderful while still filling the mouth with a density to the crushed velvet-textured tannins that give the structure and cushioning. Seriously appealing and charming, it’s big and clearly powerful with layers of black fruit, but it has a sense of restraint where nothing feels overworked. Perfectly weighted with balance, poise and persistence – you know you're drinking something special here.

Love the perfume and finesse here with fresh flowers, blackberries, crushed stones and cement. Cedar. Full and very long with tight and muscular tannins that go on for minutes. Tight and thoughtful. Soulful. Try after 2030.

100% Merlot. Cask sample. Another monumental offering that is deep and profound. Complex, dark-fruit notes. Powerful tannic frame as always but freshness and balance as well. Sufficient juice. Dry, firm, muscular finish. For the long haul. (JL)

The 2020 Trotanoy is tremendous. Even better, it might not take forever to come around! Vertical in build, with tons of explosive energy, Trotanoy offers a beguiling mix of black cherry, plum, licorice, incense, dried herbs, menthol and graphite. There is a ton of energy and structure, along with the signature Trotanoy tannins, but all the elements are so well-balanced.

As good as this was from barrel, it is even better in the bottle! The array of black and dark red fruits, with nuances of flowers, chocolate, licorice, wet earth and spice in the perfume lets you know you are in for something special. This wine is what hedonism is all about. Sensuous, silky, polished, fresh and opulent, texturally, this is off the charts. The wine tastes and feels like the fruits were drenched in velvet, infused with dark chocolate and then polished, making this effortless to drink. The seamless finish hits the 60 second mark. Clearly, this is a legend in the making. If you are a fan of Trotanoy and you have the extra income, run, do not walk and grab some, as not much was made and it is only going to become more expensive from here. Drink from 2025-2060.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, faint ochre brightening on rim. Fresh ripe plum, dark cherry, fine herbal savouriness, some vanilla and noble wood, a hint of nougat in the background. Juicy, again ripe black fruit nuances, from blackberry to cherry, ripe, fine tannins, mineral-salty, shows very good length, fine fruit expression on the finish, great ageing potential, a highly elegant wine, some nougat and toasty aromas in the aftertaste. After 2018 and 2019, the third beauty in a row.

Compared to Hosanna, this is in every way deeper and darker, with more tannic power, black cherry, Kirsch and layers of dark fruit. Despite the appeal and Burgundian flair of Hosanna, Trotanoy shows tremendous power and length, certainly a wine needing more time to open, but there’s so much hidden in there waiting to come out! Remarkable finesse and length. Close to perfection—looking forward to tasting this from bottle in a few years.

Reminding me slightly of the 1998, the dense ruby/purple-hued 2020 Château Trotanoy offers a classic, concentrated, structured, regal style that this terroir seems to deliver with ease. Giving up a layered, primordial bouquet of smoked tobacco, black cherries, iron, graphite, and gravelly earth, it hits the palate with a massive array of fruit and tannins that somehow stays flawlessly balanced, offering ripe, silky, yet building tannins, flawless balance, and a gorgeous finish. It's going to need a decade of bottle age to hit the early stages of maturity, but this is pure Pomerol brilliance. Is there a better performing Château on the Right Bank today? Not in my opinion.

An incredibly profound, complex bouquet with dark-berry definition, licorice, chocolate pralines, and sour-cherry juice. On the second nose, dried culinary herbs, dark minerality, and a delicate hint of violet perfume. On the regal palate, a silky texture, exalted, fleshy extract density, a tight, cocoa-tinged tannin framework, and an energy-charged body. In the seemingly endless finish, small black berries, Brazilian tobacco, and deep, terroir-driven spice. A Pomerol for eternity, clearly able to play its terroir advantage here, and therefore counted among the finest wines of the vintage. Bravo!

Kunz Fassprobe 2021: (100% Merlot) A concentrated, velvety, profound, Burgundy-like bouquet: wild strawberries, dark pralines, gingerbread spice, like a la Tâche. A densely woven, refined yet powerful, elegant, multi-layered, creamy palate with intense, dense, velvety fruit; a concentrated, finely muscular, elegant structure; sensational aromatics; and lots of very fine tannin. Powerful, dense, gently opulent yet fresh finish with many, strong echoes on the aftertaste.

(100% Merlot) Concentrated, velvety, profound, Burgundy-like bouquet with wild strawberries, dark chocolates and gingerbread spice, like a La Tâche. A tightly knit, finely powerful, elegant, multi-layered, creamy palate with intense, dense, silky fruit; a concentrated, finely muscular, elegant structure; sensational aromatics; lots of very fine tannin; and a powerful, dense, delicately opulent yet fresh finish with many strong return aromas. 20/20 2029 - 2060

Muscular, powerful, precise and oh-so-clearly long ageing, this is Trotanoy at the height of its powers, and you could be nowhere else but Pomerol with this glass. Succulent black cherry and cassis fruits, riven through with cocoa bean, cigar box, cloves, toasted pepper, gunsmoke and liquorice. It digs in and grips on from beginning to end, so sure of itself and its place. The tannins remain closed right now, as you would expect at just three years old, but it is already hinting at the crushed rose petals and violet flowers that will unveil further over the next decade. This was a potential 100 point wine during my En Primeur tastings, and my in bottle re-taste has arrived a little later than usual, but I am thrilled to say that it fully lives up to expectations. Harvest September 15 to 18, 42hl/ha yield.

The 2020 Trotanoy is 100% Merlot and has a deep garnet-purple color. It is shut down tight to begin, needing a lot of patience and vigorous shaking to unlock notes of tar, fertile loam, licorice, and black truffles, leading to a core of preserved plums and fruitcake, with emerging wafts of iron ore and unsmoked cigars. The full-bodied palate is almost impenetrable - densely laden with taut black fruits and earthy accents, supported by very ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and profound. Give it 10-15 years at least and then prepare to be dazzled.

97-98

A bright, pure nose of purple fruit, leaning toward notes of sweet plums. A rustle of black fruit on the palate, sinuous and elegant, full of energy, still needing plenty of time, but promising outstanding ageing potential.

The nose is elegant, aromatic and delicate, with a very fine, beautiful texture that is both powerful and tightly knit. This wine benefits from decanting to open up and fully express itself. It reveals notes of creamy blackberries, grey pepper and, more subtly, roasted small red berries, alongside touches of wild black berries, fresh tobacco, graphite, a hint of sap and spices. The palate is fruity, with a tangy backbone and a mineral edge. It shows roundness, a fine creamy texture, freshness and precision. Its fine definition carries notes of juicy, fleshy blackberries, vibrant raspberries and, more lightly, roasted small berries, with hints of tonka bean, lily, fresh pepper, as well as delicate touches of toast and graphite. A hint of saffron also comes through on the floral side, along with cocoa. The palate has an appealing airy quality, with freshness and delicacy; density and richness, yet always with elegance. On the finish, the bitterness of cocoa emerges, along with a good length.