Château Trotanoy 2024

Bright ruby-red color; complex nose with ripe blackberries, stewed plums, pronounced spice and floral notes; straight and fruity on the attack, then the structure takes hold with noticeable tannins and plenty of drive; the wine builds intensity and shows character; all the elements are there, though it still feels a little untamed at present, but it should come together with ageing.

Darkly spiced fruit on the nose, blackcurrant, black cherry and plum. Clean and focused, this has fine muscles and some tension - it carries an air of seduction, the flavours extending vertically creating layers of fleshy tannins, juicy acidity, ripe fruit and chalkiness. Filling, on the more forward and expressive side. I like the intensity here, it takes the vintage and adds extra push, density and confidence. Strong but clean, massy but also focussed. Complex with liquorice, clove, aniseed and black chocolate. Somehow this really works. Not a style that many have this year. Great wine! Ageing 50% new oak barrels for 16-18 months.

A fresh, vibrant, chalky wine with notes of cocoa, black cherries, licorice, espresso, and truffles. The palate is vibrant, chalky, and fresh, showcasing a masculine character that will require some aging for the wine to begin to truly reveal its full potential. The wine is produced from 99.5% Merlot, with 0.5% Cabernet Franc. The harvest took place September 17 - September 28. Drink from 2029-2048. 94-96 Pts

Trotanoy immediately shows depth and serenity from the very first seconds. Earthy notes, hints of dark berries mingled with aromas of peony, toast and licorice create a compelling symbiosis. On the palate, the wine fully lives up to the serenity expressed by the bouquet. It is elegant and nicely dense. Its tannins are paired with an acidity that is both structuring and refreshing, and together they reinforce the flavor profile as well as the finish. A savory wine that offers very promising prospects.

The nose is beautifully elegant and delicate, with toasty, vanilla notes—rounded and subtle, offering a real sense of fullness. It shows a lovely silky feel, fine and refined texture, and opens slowly. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry, vibrant purple plum, and more lightly crushed redcurrant and juicy/pulpy blackcurrant, together with a touch of cranberry and lily, delicate hints of mild pepper, a subtle almost imperceptible suggestion of blood orange in the background, gentle, delicate sweet spices, cinnamon, as well as notes of clove and sweet tobacco. The palate is fruity and fresh, offering minerality, a mineral, tangy backbone, precision, a certain roundness, suppleness and a hint of richness. It expresses notes of fleshy/juicy blackberry, bright small red berries and, more lightly, purple plum, alongside touches of cocoa nib, chocolate, and toast, as well as hints of bright small red berries, crushed/sweet cranberry, and fine touches of racy minerality, graphene and toast. The tannins are toasty, mellow and indulgent. A lovely finish that wavers between very fine firmness and a delicate chew, delivering a subtle elegant darkness, with roundness, suppleness and delicacy. A mineral wine.

A serious Trotanoy, as you would expect in the vintage, this has juice and restraint and a slow build. It grows on me more and more as it opens, spiralling with violet and peony flowers, graphite and slate, but it has less of the immediacy of La Fleur-Pétrus, and in this vintage, you might want to take your pleasures where you can find them. Instead this is one to bet on, knowing the exceptional ability of this estate to deliver over the long-term, even in difficult vintages. 50% new oak. Harvest 17 to 28 September, no chaptilisation. No plans for a 2nd wine (Esperance de Trotanoy) in this vintage.

Deep, intense red colour with black highlights. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Juicy on the attack and just as delicious and velvety on the mid-palate, the flavours build through to a fragrant, nicely persistent finish. Blend: 99.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc.