A St Emilion and a St Estephe.

[Claudius2]

2009 L’arrosse St Emilion
Moderate dark red colour, slightly fluid rim. Nose was savoury with dried herbs, red and dark fruit and a touch of French oak.

Palate was a bit disjoint tonight. The acid was too firm and dominated the moderate fruit. Plums, dark fruit an a touch of raspberry plus some oak, soft tannins and raspy acid. I didn’t notice that amount of acid st the 09 and 10 tasting recently.

So I’m a bit nonplussed- maybe this bottle wasn’t a good one but there were no evident faults. Good only.

2015 Tronquoy Lalande St Estephe.
Despite being a lowly CB, this wine was a very nice drink. Good dark ruby red, black red core. Nose of mocha, spice, cassis and dark fruits. Nicely balanced with some freshness and interest.

Palate was medium bodied with firm though ripe tannins, moderate acidity and good fruit - cassis, plum, blackberry and a touch of sweet, musky red fruit. The oak is balanced the wine shows some wholeness and poise. Nice freshness and balance.

I have rarely bought this wine though I’m quite impressed and would happily sip any day. Rated VG+

Cheers
Mark

[sisler]

Tronquoy Lalande belongs to the owners of Montrose and has been renamed to Tronquoy recently. The newer releases of this wine must be a real steel, offering excellent QPR below 30 USD.

[Nicklasss]

Nice report Claudius.

I also had the 2015 Tronquoy Lalande and liked it a lot too. What was impressive in that wine, as you noted, is the real sense of complexity and balance (freshness), for the young age and the vintage. And this should age nicely.

So there are excellent top wines outside the Crus Classés, and this one is one of them!

[Claudius2]

Guys
The TL was well balanced and the L’arossee seemed disjoint.

I’m getting rather sensitive to acid - not surprising given an increasingly long list of internal issues - though Wendy will say it’s fine and I’ll be overpowered by it.

I’d also say that St Estephe has improved out of sight in recent decades and I must drink more…