One of the most celebrated wines of Pomerol and Bordeaux, Château Trotanoy has been in the JP Moueix Stable (which includes amongst others La Fleur-Pétrus in Pomerol and Dominus in the Napa Valley) since 1953. It is perfectly situated on gravel and clay on the Pomerol plateau, not far from Pétrus, Trotanoy's 7.2ha is planted to 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. With naturally low yields, Trotanoy is one of Pomerol's most profound and concentrated wines needing at least a decade and usually longer to start hitting its straps.
92-94/100 Andrew Caillard MW. Medium deep colour. Violet/ plum/ dark chocolate aromas. Well concentrated, cedary/ praline/ dark berry flavours. Very dry chalky plentiful tannins. Firm bitter dry but juicy finish. Very muscular and tight but all the elements are aligned.
91-93/100 Robert Parker Jr. A big, virile, masculine-styled wine, the 2011 Trotanoy is one of the more concentrated efforts of the vintage. Some rugged tannins are still present, but the wine possesses a dense plum/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, truffle, black currant and black cherry fruit. Ripe and medium to full-bodied with impressive intensity, depth and length, it will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and should drink well over the following two decades. Bravo!
17.5/20 James Lawler MW, Decanter. Dominated the JP Moueix tasting. Complex, savoury nose. Rich, pure-fruited palate with good depth, firm, ripe tannins and minerally freshness. Drink 2020-2035.
17.5/20 Julia Harding MW, Jancis Robinson. Vineyard encépagement: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Very different from Hosanna. Deep crimson. Lovely pure rich fruit, both red and black. A touch floral too and a hint of oak sweetness over all that. Restrained but very persistent and refined to the finish. Earthy mineral aftertaste.
92-95/100 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator. A mouthfilling red, with crushed cherry, plum and raspberry fruit all rolled together and liberally laced with anise and roasted apple wood. There's lots of grip, but this is still harmonious through the finish. One of the more backward wines of the vintage, with an obvious tannic spine that needs some time to soften. Tasted non-blind.
Pomerol, on the Right Bank of Bordeaux’s Gironde River, produces some of the world’s most sought-after wines, including those from such storied properties as Chateau Petrus. Yet Pomerol, the smallest of the fine-wine-producing districts of Bordeaux, offers no Grand Cru or Premier Cru wines: It’s the most significant Bordeaux appellation not included in any quality ranking. At the time of the historic 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, Right Bank chateaux were considered remote and difficult to travel to, and so were ignored by the merchants who created the classification. (St. Émilion, a notable neighbour on the Right Bank, created its own classification system in 1954.)
Pomerol has managed to do quite well without this form of validation. Pomerol’s predominantly clay soil is ideally suited for Merlot, the primary grape used in the appellation. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also included in Pomerol’s blended red wines. The wines of Pomerol are lush and rich, and generally not as tannic as the Cabernet-based wines of Bordeaux’s Left Bank. Although Pomerol’s very best wines are capable of aging for decades, most are made for immediate consumption. These Merlot-based wines are known for their lush texture, elegance and grace, as well as the softer tannins they offer in comparison to the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines made elsewhere in Bordeaux.
