Castle Trotanoy - Pomerol 2012

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

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.

Vinous

95 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe1/15/2016

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. Drinking window 2022 - 2042. 
Score 95+.

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

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.

Jamessuckling.com

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

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.

Wine Spectator

96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

This combines serious fruit and grip with a torrent of blackberry, raspberry and boysenberry pâte de fruit notes, liberally laced with smoldering charcoal and tobacco accents. The long, loamy edge drives the finish, along with hints of bay and warm stones, while the fruit pours through. A very serious effort for the vintage. Best from 2018 through 2032. 1,341 cases made. –JM

timatkin.com

93 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2013

Trotanoy is a notch below La Fleur-Pétrus in the hierarchy of Moueix properties in 2012, but maybe it just needs time to settle into itself. Firm and concentrated with slightly firm tannins, some toasty oak, flavours of plum and currant and just a hint of bitterness, but with acidity lifting the wine on the finish. Drink: 2022-32

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91-93 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/29/2013

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.

Le Point

17-17,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Nez peu ouvert, bouche veloutée, beaux tanins doux, soyeux, des notes épicées viennent complèter le fruit. Un vin complet, riche, délicat et très structuré. O= 2017 G= 18 ans

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/6/2013

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.

Wine Spectator

94-97 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2013

This packs black currant, fig paste, bay leaf and tobacco flavors, with a long, charcoal-framed finish and terrific length and cut. Shows the wine's typical power and depth, with the freshness of the vintage. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/30/2013

Hugely complex and spicy with liquorice and black cherry fruit - highly exotic and sophisticated.

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/29/2013

Drink 2017-2026
Dark cherry red. Fine, dark, pure fruit. Dry and savoury and restrained. Highly polished but still has that elegant austerity that is the opposite of excessively sweet fruit. A little stalky on the finish but long. (JH)

My Bettane + Desseauve

18 / 20

the4/27/2013

Nez noble, fruit racé, épices surfins, allonge brillante et gourmande, tannin et chair, grande classe. Creuse une belle différence avec beaucoup crus de notoriété similaire.

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

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.

Drink: 2018 - 2048

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

Flowers, fresh herbs, truffles and an assortment of red berries characterize this deep, silky, polished and long wine that finishes with a long, sweet, silk-filled red berry and chocolate finish. 94-96 Pts

Decanter.com

17,5 / 20

the4/22/2013

Maintains the gravitas associated with this cru. Dense, dark fruit aroma with a floral-violet note. Layers of fruit on the palate. Firm, ripe tannins. 17.5/20pts ( 91/100pts)
Drink: 2018 - 2032
Taster: James Lawther MW

Jean-Marc QUARIN

16,75 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/9/2013

Couleur sombre et intense. Nez fin, fruité, mûr, floral et réglissé. Jolie entrée en bouche très fruitée et finement grasse. Le vin se développe parfumé, caressant, juteux, avec une bonne présence générale. Il s'achève sur une très bonne longueur et surtout un grain fin. Quoi de mieux que le merlot sur un sol de grave et un sous-sol d'argile pour réussir en 2012.

Jamessuckling.com

94-95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2013

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.