Wine Advisor
Trotanoy 1996
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
I would not be surprised to see the 1996 Trotanoy merit an outstanding score. When I saw it in January, it had begun to tighten up and close down. The wine possesses a dense, medium plum color, tight but promising aromatics, a sweet, pure core of mineral-tinged blackberry and cherry fruit, plenty of power and richness, a chewy texture, and muscle and firm tannin in the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2017.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A deep black/garnet core. The nose takes about ten minutes to open but reluctantly reveals scents of dark chocolate, savoury fruits, a faint hint of freshly cut ginger and blackberry. A medium-bodied palate, quite forward with the Cabernet Franc quite noticeable. The tannins are lacking a little structure (like many 1996 Pomerols) and the overall character is rather sulky, dare I say, dour? Dr and conservative on the finish. Perhaps too classic even for this classicist but it may improve. Drink 2010-2015. Tasted July 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is a broodingly backward vin de garde, dark ruby/purple-colored wine with sweet truffle, mineral, and black cherry/raspberry fruit in the nose. In the mouth, it is medium to full-bodied, with high tannin, plenty of muscle, and a chewy, old style intensity to its flavors, texture, and personality. The 1996 does not possess the flamboyance or extraordinary intensity and potential of the 1995, but it is a very competent effort in what was an irregular vintage for Pomerol. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020. After continuously expressing my disappointment with the wines produced at Trotanoy between 1983 and 1989, I am thrilled with what has been taking place since the 1990 vintage. The 1995 and 1996 vintages are both impressive, with the 1995 unquestionably the finest Trotanoy since the extraordinary 1982.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A terrific success in this mixed Pomerol vintage, Christian Moueix made a very strict selection for the 1996 Trotanoy, producing only 1,700 cases rather than the normal 3,500. The wine exhibits a dense blue/black/purple color, followed by a gorgeously sweet nose of black-raspberries, minerals, and floral scents. Powerful and tannic, with copious quantities of sweet ripe fruit, medium to full body, and an extremely long finish, this Trotanoy will require 7-8 years of cellaring, but should keep for 20-25+ years. Could this be a modern-day clone of Trotanoy's gorgeously elegant 1962?
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Dark ruby with surprising pink at the rim, the 1996 Trotanoy seems very tightly knit, with dusty tannins, hints of sweet and sour cherry fruit, finishing to a somewhat liquid minerality and spicy note. The wine has plenty of muscle, very high levels of tannin, but a somewhat unimpressive mid-palate. Whether it fleshes out remains to be seen, but I am somewhat doubtful. This wine seems to be increasingly less impressive. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. Last tasted, 2/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1996 Trotanoy is a vintage that I have not encountered for some time. It has a slightly disjointed nose, indicating that this was a benevolent vintage toward Pomerol. On the nose, touches of leather, Christmas cake and some figgy scents do not really cohere in the glass. The palate is more harmonious than the aromatics, with touches of brown spice. The 1996 is quite smooth on the finish, though it is missing some bandwidth. Drink this in the near future. Tasted at the Pomerol dinner at Cornus in London.
About the Producer
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.
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