Purchased by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1953, Château Trotanoy has been considered one of the premier crus of Pomerol since the end of the eighteenth century. The soil of Château Trotanoy is a very dense mixture of clay and gravel which tends to solidify as it dries out after rain to an almost concrete-like hardness, hence the name “Trotanoy,” or, in other words, “too wearisome” to cultivate.
The Trotanoy vineyard slopes gently to the west. The soil at the highest point of exposure contains a good proportion of gravel, becoming progressively more dominated by clay as the elevation declines. Under this clay is a subsoil of red gravel and an impermeable layer of hard, iron-rich soil known as “crasse de fer.” This fascinating soil diversity brings power, depth and complexity to the wine. Trotanoy is vinified in small concrete vats, while aging takes place in oak barrels.
Trotanoy is a naturally profound, complex, richly-concentrated wine with outstanding aging potential. The wine possesses a deep color and a dense, powerful nose, repeated on the palate with the addition of creamy, dark chocolate notes, and a singular concentration of flavor owed to its very old vines.
90% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Franc
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98 Points – “The Wine Advocate”, Robert M. Parker Jr. (February 2013)
“Think of this wine as the 1998 on steroids! Showing better out of bottle than it did from barrel, this wine has put on considerable weight. It is full-bodied, masculine (as most vintages of Trotanoy tend to be), with loads of earthy, foresty notes intermixed with black and red fruits, a meaty, almost charcuterie note to it, an inky/purple color, some sweetness on the attack, but then the tannins kick in, making the wine seem at least a decade away from accessibility to most consumers. The texture is layered, the purity impressive, and the overall symmetry, balance and integration of all of the wine's building blocks are flawless. Forget it for 10 years and drink it over the following 35 years. Bravo!”