Château Trotanoy Pomerol 2011

The 2011 Trotanoy is one of the wines of the vintage and an absolute classic in the making. The deep, pure and utterly brilliant nose soars from the glass in a blaze of red and black plums, black cherries, woodsmoke, coffee, chocolate, complex soil tones, fresh herbs and a seamless base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and utterly suave on the attack, with great intensity of flavor, a rock solid core of pure fruit, ripe, beautifully-integrated tannins and laser-like focus on the very, very long, poised and stunning finish. Perhaps this will turn out along the lines of the legendary 1975 Trotanoy?

A dark and structured version, with loam and espresso notes coursing underneath the core of crushed plum, steeped blackberry and black currant fruit. Lots of roasted mesquite and ganache accents fill in on the finish. This is among the most backward of the 2011 Pomerols, showing remarkable stuffing for the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2032.

A fine wine that shows crisp fruit and a dense, dry structure. This is solid, fruit-packed and firm.

Rich, dense, masculine and substantial, Trotanoy has produced a bigger wine than most 2011s. Similar to the masculinity and robustness of Gazin, with more mineral content, this medium to full-bodied, muscular effort will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring and should keep for two decades. Think black cherries, earth, baking spices and serious extract!

Saturated medium ruby. Very deep aromas of cassis and bitter chocolate are complicated by sweet spices and peppery underbrush. Big and broad in the mouth but showing a slightly cool personality, offering mineral and floral flavors that are energetic and pure. A bit youthfully austere today, with firm acidity and gripping tannins not yet completely integrated, but the power and depth of fruit are obvious even at this early stage. Forget about this one in the cellar for at least ten years. Trotanoy offers a noteworthy step up in concentration from all the other Moueix offerings in 2011 with the exception of Petrus.