Trotanoy

[Comte Flaneur]

We attended a Trotanoy tasting in London last Saturday morning, hosted by Euduard Moueix, the son of Christian. We tried ten wines. Two of the second wine Esperance, and eight of the GV spanning 1998 to the newly assembled 2018.

I met Eduard at a 2016 tasting earlier this year and he is brimming with enthusiasm, gregarious and friendly. There is no snobbery despite his family’s impressive and diverse portfolio. Trotanoy is one of the Crown Jewels, a small 7.2 hectare estate on the south west of the plateau of Pomerol. By comparison Petrus is 11 hectares, Le Pin 2.5, and among his family’s other properties La Fleur Petrus 18 and Belair-Monange, where he now lives, 23. It was a thrilling prospect to taste a selection of the top vintages of a wine which over the years has often been compared favourably to Petrus.

It seems that Moueix is looking to make technically perfect wines and he seems to have a low tolerance of perceived flaws. He identified the 2000 as the last of the traditional vintages, and 2005 as an example of the new era, after which for example optical sorting machines were introduced to weed out green grapes. Given the prices these wines command it is understandable that, as he noted, the estate wants to plough back money into investing in the state of the art technology, in the quest to make perfect wines.

The risk in my opinion is that you can sacrifice typicity in the quest for perfection, and you end up producing anodyne wines with high alcohol. A notable case in point is the subsuming of Magdelaine and Belair into Belair Monange, which tastes like a modern St-Emilion, and which occasionally has 15% alcohol. The old fashioned style of St-Emilion epitomised by these two estates may have been lost forever.

Ironically, like Maureen, my favourite wine was the 2000, because it had a wonderful Pomerol typicity and aromatic complexity with tobacco and compost notes combined with elegance and finesse. Eduard detected a minty note, which he regarded as a minor flaw, and the 2000 did not have the opulence, density, concentration or power of the 1998, but it is the more enjoyable wine to drink now. The 1998 has a marvellous future ahead of it though, like other great right banks from that vintage. It was completely closed when they opened it but began to open and show off its wares after double decanting.

The 2005 was a bit riper (no mintiness) and even more dense, powerful and muscular than the 1998, an impressive beast, but it lacked the charm of some of the other wines. The 2010 also had plenty of structure and power, but also lacked some charm. The 2010 Esperance was not interesting at all, but the 2015 Esperance was streets ahead, delicious with a precocious plummy signature, which augured well for the GV. But the GV, which got rave reviews, was strangely mute, which suggested to us an off bottle.

The 2016 was simply fabulous, a compendium of the strengths of all the other wines, and easily outshone the 2005, 2010 and 2015, but the real showstopper was the 2009, with perfectly ripe fruit, generosity, opulence, complexity, a luscious texture and ultra fine tannins. The 2018 had only been blended the week before and was the sunniest ever vintage. It was ripe with chocolate and violet notes but not overripe.

The 2000 is the wine to drink today, and you would be very lucky to have the 1998, the 2009 and 2016 in your cellar. You really need to win the lottery to afford these wines these days unfortunately.

[DavidG]

Thanks for yet another report on an awesome tasting Ian.

The only Trotanoys I have in the cellar are the 2005 and 2014. Wish it were more affordable and available locally. I share your concern that a move to only perfectly ripe grapes may steal some of this wine's character.

Do you have any more detailed notes on the 2015?

[Comte Flaneur]

We were pretty sure the 2015 was slightly flawed David, because the Esperance was exuberant and lovely, but the GV strangely mute. But you can look on CT, and I think Jeff gives it a rave review. I expected the GV to be sensational after tasting the Esperance but it was not to be.

[Blanquito]

This thread is the most depressing thing I’ve read today. I am a huge fan of Trotanoy as it was, though I don’t get to have it often. The youngest vintage I’ve had is the 1995, was which borderline incredible at a dinner in 2015, though I owe a few bottles of the 2000. Too bad I was poor when the 98s Righties came out, prices are insane now.

[greatbxfreak]

Good to know TNs as I plan to organize vertical tasting of Trotanoy in September this year in Copenhagen. I've managed to collect 26 vintages - 2015-14-12-10-09-08-06-05-04-01-00-98-95-90-89-86-85-83-82-78-76-75-71-70-66-16
Anybody interested in participating can contact me by pm.

Concerning 2015 vintage - I tasted it in October last year and it was beautiful wine, just behind 2016 version. 2018 tasted even better 2 months ago.

Still Trotanoy is "poor man's Petrus", 10 times less expensive.

[sdr]

I want to love Trotanoy but I find it frustratingly irregular, at least for the older vintages.

I have finally warmed up to the ‘82, which is lively and interesting, at least the better bottles. The even older ones from vintages such as ‘76, ‘75 and ‘70 are mostly poor or flawed although the ‘71 is outstanding, even besting the ‘71 Pétrus last year.

I hope the more recent vintages are more consistent.

Stu

[AKR]

I am thankful that it graced my lips when I was younger, and perhaps not yet fully appreciated by the marketplace or even owners.

The 98 was amazing and excellent.

[dstgolf]

Ian,

Another great tasting and thanks for taking the time for a mouth watering review. I've been sitting on the 2000 not hearing any reasonable reviews about current drinking state and sounds like you are saying it's ready to go. What window do you foresee? A couple of 98s and 2014s in the cellar waiting and 98 sounds ready to go as well. Hoping the 04 and 05 La Fleur Petrus will hold their pedigree under the same stable as well.

You are blessed to be able to attend all of these amazing tastings and thanks for sharing with us.

[Nicklasss]

Thanks Ian for that report, on a wine I did not had often, but I really do appreciate. Very Pomerol, i hope the luscious vintages after 2005 are just overexposing fruit, but will come back to traditionnal Merlot Pomerol in clay infused with iron, with age.

If you can, try the 2004 that I found very traditionnal, full of elegance and Pomerol complexity. The 1989, in San Francisco Thursday night convention dinner, was just too good.

Effectively, pricey, but I guess it is deserved.

Nic

[sdr]

The ‘98 is amazing good, a real superstar.

Stu