Wine Advisor
Trotanoy 1998
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s Pomerol dinner. The Trotanoy 1998 has Cabernet Franc dominating nose, more than I have encountered on any other bottle previously with bell pepper, tobacco, allspice and sandalwood dried herbs, almost Cote-Rotie-like in character. With further aeration, there is just a touch of chimney soot. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, very dry tannins, again, the Cabernet Franc imparting the leafy, dry, almost herbaceous character with a slightly bitter finish. Intriguing. Tasted April 2011.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Let me make it crystal clear - readers have to go back to 1961 to find a Trotanoy of such exhilarating power, richness, and potential complexity. There are 2,800 cases of this black beauty. Harvested at the perfect time, Trotanoy's 1998 boasts a saturated black/purple color, as well as a gorgeous nose of truffles, licorice, black currants, overripe cherries, cedar, and coffee. Amazingly full-bodied, with fabulous concentration, and firm yet sweet tannin, this massive wine will require 8-10 years of cellaring. Those seeking a Trotanoy made in a forward 1995 or 1990 style, will need to re-calibrate their palates when tasting this blockbuster. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This wine is rich, full, and prodigious. A black/ruby color is followed by knock-out aromatics of grilled meats, licorice, black cherries, and blackberries. Backward, with high tannin, awesome concentration, a penetrating, layered feel in the mouth, and enormous weight and length, it will require 7-10 years of cellaring, and should keep for 30-35 years. It is a superstar of the vintage! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030+.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Just showing slight signs of maturity on the rim. The nose is just a little more open but then ripe black cherries; iodine, liquorice and date scents begin to slowly emerge. The palate is full-bodied, much fleshier than the 2000, very supple and feminine with a lovely velvety texture. Well-integrated oak, sweet red cherry, redcurrants, a touch of burnt toast and freshly rolled tobacco on the middle. Very powerful with great depth and persistency on the finish, this is a great Pomerol that should be drinking a little earlier than the 2000. Drink 2012-2035. Tasted May 2007.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Trotanoy vertical in Hong Kong, the 1998 Trotanoy seemed to go through a dumb phase, however, this bottle suggests that it is coming through the other side. It has a rich and opulent bouquet with plenty of blackberry and raspberry fruit, cloves and smoke, a touch of Cuban cigar developing with time, dovetailing into more red fruit on the second half. The palate is well balanced even though it has more weight and girth than the 1990 Trotanoy. What is surprising is the structure and the backbone of this Pomerol, atypical for the vintage. I can see this Trotanoy aiming for the long-haul, perhaps a 40- to 50-year wine. One of the true Pomerol-lovers. Tasted November 2016.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The finest Trotanoy since the 1961, this structured, formidably-endowed, deep ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, super-rich wine exhibits notes of toffee, truffles, and abundant blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. It cuts a large swath across the palate, and possesses copious but sweet tannin as well as a chewy, muscular mid-palate and finish. This is a compelling effort from one of the great vineyards of Pomerol. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2035. Last tasted, 11/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Trotanoy dinner at Sketch in London. This bottle of 1998 has a rather odd, lactic nose at first - dark chocolate and espresso, again developing a northern Rhone-like character that I find distracting. The palate is medium-bodied, ripe and velvety with luscious dark plummy fruit. The oak is very dominant and I worry that it will not fully integrate with the fruit at all. I have been very positive about previous bottles in the past, but stylistically I am going to err on the side of caution. Tasted September 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This structured, formidably-endowed, deep ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, super-rich wine exhibits notes of toffee, truffles, and abundant blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. It cuts a large swath across the palate, and possesses copious but sweet tannin as well as a chewy, muscular mid-palate and finish. This is a compelling effort from one of the great vineyards of Pomerol. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Pomerol off-line at The Ledbury. This is a great Chateau Trotanoy. It has a lucid, youthful hue. The nose is bashful at first but then explodes in the glass with dark cherries, iodine, wild hedgerow, liquorice and violets and before long…you are hooked! The palate is full-bodied with ripe, saturated tannins and great density; you can feel the weight of this wine in the mouth. The oak is now fully integrated with dark cherries, tobacco emanating from the Cabernet Franc that has more to say towards the grippy finish. There is a sense of this being a “compact” Trotanoy, one that I think will be even greater in another 10-12 years. Drink 2013-2035. Tasted September 2010.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 1998 Trotanoy displays a deep garnet-purple color. Wow. Tons of gregarious fruit springs from the glass—crème de cassis, blackberry pie, blueberry compote and mincemeat with suggestions of cigar box, chargrilled meat, incense, earth and dried cherries plus a touch of dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it coats the palate with bags of rich, plush textured fruit, offering layer upon layer of exotic spice and savory flavors, finishing epically long and layered. This is mind-blowingly delicious!
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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