2018 Trotanoy
By Chateau Trotanoy
2018 Trotanoy from Chateau Trotanoy, Pomerol, Bordeaux
My encounters with the remarkable wines from Chateau Trotanoy have spanned numerous decades, each vintage articulating the subtle whispers and roars of Pomerol's terroir. The 2018 Trotanoy emerges as a distinguished representative of its lineage: a Bordeaux wine wrought from a climatically benevolent year that conferred upon the grapes an almost regal maturation.
A Vintage Defined by Balance and Structure
In 2018, Bordeaux enjoyed climatic generosity in contrast to the tumultuous patterns that had challenged previous vintages. The region's vines basked in ample sunlight, tempered by just enough rain to stress the vineyard's legendary 'iron pan' subsoil, which commands vines to delve deep for sustenance. The result at Trotanoy was fruit imbued with a harmonious balance of acidity and ripeness.
Held within the confines of a glass, the 2018 Trotanoy from Chateau Trotanoy expresses a nose dense with dark fruits such as black cherries and plums, flirting with hints of truffle and wet earth – a signature of Pomerol's cherished Merlot.
Investment-Worthy Sophistication
The palate reveals an opulent tapestry interwoven with firm yet polished tannins that promise resilience over time. Indeed, this is a wine that not only speaks to connoisseurs with its complexity but beckons to investors with its potential for grace in aging.
For those building or diversifying a fine wine portfolio, committing to bottles or cases of the 2018 Trotanoy embodies both an aesthete's delight and an astute financial decision. Its intricacies and structural integrity signal a capacity to evolve magnificently in the cellar, potentially rewarding patience with increased value as its notes mature and mellow.
The essence of this wine captures the triumph of Chateau Trotanoy's meticulous stewardship over nature's benevolence in 2018. It stands proudly as one of Pomerol’s finest achievements — a testament not only to the calibre of its chateau but also to the sterling reputation Bordeaux holds among both oenophiles and investors.
Market price (CAD)
$4,190.00
12x75cl
Highest score
99
POP score
132.63
Scores and tasting notes
The 2018 Trotanoy is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal a jaw-dropping perfume of Black Forest cake, black raspberries, blackberry pie and kirsch, followed by hints of cast-iron pan, violets, woodsmoke, Chinese five spice and eucalyptus, with a waft of tree bark. The full-bodied palate explodes with exotic spice and mineral fireworks, grounded by a concentrated, black and red berry preserves core and framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing with epic length and depth. It will need a good five years in bottle to tame some of the youthfully overt, showy fruit and allow the mineral and earth nuances to emerge, then it should easily cellar another 35 years or more.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 31 March 2021
This is such a pinpointed and precise wine that shows a fantastic center palate of ripe and rich fruit with a combination of chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, racy and focused. Lasts for minutes.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com - April 2019
Gorgeous, showing hefty structure throughout, carrying waves of tobacco- and charcoal-coated cassis, steeped plum and warm fig fruit. The dense finish is packed together now and seriously long. A very complete wine that helps set the bar in this vintage.—J.M.
James Molesworth - Wine Spectator - April 2019
This is powerful and beautiful, pulsating with black fruits, liquorice and confident tannins - it doesn't just walk the line, it owns the line. While it perhaps doesn’t quite have the pure and absolute majesty of 2010, it is another crazy good year for Trotanoy offering an unusually seductive charm along with the power. There’s no question that the vintage was handled with aplomb; there’s not the slightest trace of the warmth of the summer with the feeling that the wine ate it right up just taking what it needed. 98-100 points.
Jane Anson - Decanter - April 2019
The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Trotanoy is made of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The first sniff and WOW, it gives an incredible perfume of red roses, candied violets, molten licorice and spice cake over a core of plum preserves, raspberry compote, dried mulberries, iron ore and camphor plus a waft of woodsmoke. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with exquisitely polished, beautifully poised red and black fruit layers with loads of mineral sparks, framed by super ripe, rounded tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing very long, culminating in a lingering ferrous note.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 23rd April 2019
The 2018 Trotanoy is insanely beautiful. Remarkably finessed, and, dare I say it understated, for a young Trotanoy, the 2018 speaks with a regal, aristocratic tone. The classic sense of verticality and depth that is such a Trotanoy signature is present, but I am also very much struck by the level of detail and overall precision in the wine. Dark stone fruit, licorice, gravel and lavender are some of the many notes that begin to develop in the glass, but ultimately, Trotanoy is a wine to treasure for its exquisite balance.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous - April 2019