Wine Advisor
Trotanoy 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Trotanoy is clearly blossoming in bottle. Over almost 20 years of tasting out of barrel, I cannot recall a Trotanoy that has so surpassed its showing at en primeur. It has a well-defined bouquet that initially seems straightforward. Don't be fooled...it opens in the glass and reveals subtle red berry fruit, truffle and ferrous aromas. There is stunning definition and poise here. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin. There is a core of wonderful Cabernet Franc here, the acidity extremely well judged with a precise, sustained finish. This is a sophisticated Pomerol with élan and no more, no less than a fabulous Trotanoy. Tasted January 2016.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The blockbuster 2012 Trotanoy has more in common with the 2009 or 2010 than most 2012s do. It stands as an example of just how successful Pomerol was in 2012. A dense black/purple color is followed by a bouquet of minerals/crushed rocks, powerful, intense black currant, licorice, roasted meat, barbecue and truffle notes. Full-bodied and super-concentrated, it is an amazing tour de force in this irregular as well as challenging vintage. Trotanoy’s 2012 should be on every connoisseur’s buying list. It will require 5-8 years of cellaring when released, and should keep for 25-30 years, one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Trotanoy 2012 was left to one side for several minutes to open up. It has immense purity on the nose with notes of dark cherries, boysenberry, dried orange peel and a touch of forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. Edouard Moueix wondered whether to place La Fleur-Petrus after Trotanoy this year and I think he has a valid point: the Trotanoy does not quite possess the length of La Fleur Petrus. But it is very focused...a “wired” Pomerol full of tension and unpredictability. Tasted April 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A spectacular Pomerol that is dense ruby/purple with notes of beef blood, crème de cassis, black cherry liqueur, licorice, iron, and perhaps a touch of truffle. Full-bodied, opulent and clearly a blockbuster of 2012, this profound wine offers serious competition for Petrus and several other limited-production, high-quality Pomerols. This is a stunner from the Moueix firm and should age well for 20-25 years. The final blend was 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with only 2,000 cases produced.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A magnificent wine and one of the clear stars of the vintage, the 2012 Trotanoy is wonderfully complete. Today, the 2012 is showing just the barest hint of its potential, but it is impressive, even at this embryonic stage. Ample and broad on the palate, the 2012 possesses remarkable depth to match its explosive energy and vertical structure. Dark stone fruits, spices, new leather and dried flowers unfurl gradually in the glass. The 2012 is a wine to buy and treasure for the next few decades. It will be some time before the tannins start to soften, so readers will have to be patient. This is a truly spectacular wine in every way.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Purple ruby. Intense scents of ripe blackberry, blueberry, violet, and aromatic herbs on the knockout nose. Large-scaled, fat and dense, with harmonious acids providing lift and clarity to the red and black fruit flavors. Finishes very long and smooth, with a repeating peppery herb nuance and insidious sweetness.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2012 Trotanoy offers blackberry, liquorice and truffle oil on the nose, moderate intensity, and it gains complexity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, gentle grip, plenty of white pepper mixed with clove, though I am seeking just a bit more depth on the finish. Fine, and coming back after 10 minutes, it seems to grow in stature. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A magnificent wine and one of the clear stars of the vintage, the 2012 Trotanoy is wonderfully complete. Today, the 2012 is showing just the barest hint of its potential, but it is impressive, even at this embryonic stage. Ample and broad on the palate, the 2012 possesses remarkable depth to match its explosive energy and vertical structure. Dark stone fruits, spices, new leather and dried flowers unfurl gradually in the glass. The 2012 is a wine to buy and treasure for the next few decades. It will be some time before the tannins start to soften, so readers will have to be patient. This is a truly spectacular wine in every way.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Wow. This really builds on the palate. Starts off slowly but then gets more silky by the second. Full and juicy. Dark chocolate and nuts. Plenty of subtle fruit.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A red with dried strawberries, chocolate and hints of dried tomatoes. Full body, dense palate and a velvety tannin texture. Surprisingly rich and ripe for the vintage. Better in 2017.
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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