Trotanoy - Pomerol 2018

Vinous

99 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe3/31/2021

The 2018 Trotanoy is a bold, powerful wine. In this vintage, some of the imposing structure that is such a Trotanoy signature has been replaced by super-expressive aromatics and striking detail. Dried herbs, iron, gravel and crushed rose petals all lend gorgeous savory nuance to a core of potent red berry fruit. Trotanoy is a Pomerol for those who can be patient. The 2018, though, is extraordinarily beautiful right out of the gate.

Wine Advocate

99 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/31/2021

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.

Jeb DUNNUCK

100 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/16/2021

Another heavenly Pomerol in the vintage, the 2018 Château Trotanoy checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in (I suspect) lots of new French oak (although it's certainly not apparent). Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a smorgasbord-like bouquet of blackcurrants, dried flowers, cured meats, violets, tobacco, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a sexy, seductive texture, building yet sweet tannins, and just a rich, concentrated, yet flawless profile on the palate that's already impossible to resist. Nevertheless, a good 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted, and this magical elixir is going to evolve for 40 years or more.

The Wine Cellar Insider

100 / 100

byJeff Levethe3/16/2021

Breathtaking in every sense of the word, this is what great Pomerol is all about. Dark in color, the complex bouquet starts off with flowers, truffle, chocolate, black cherry, incense, smoke, licorice and spice. But the best part of the wine takes place on your palate with its lavish display of velvet drenched fruits. The level of purity, coupled with its opulent, sensual qualities, length and complexity is almost off the charts! The finish easily crosses the 60 second mark! This is a future legend of Bordeaux.

Vinous

98 / 100

byNeal Martinthe3/12/2021

The 2018 Trotanoy is one that I described as one of the vintage’s best wines when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle, it delivers a heavenly bouquet of mixed red and black fruit, iron filing, truffle and mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful structure and poise. This is an extremely complex Pomerol, lightly peppered with gentle but insistent grip toward the finish. You can feel it lingering in the mouth for 60 seconds afterward. Returning to the same bottle the following day, it had, remarkably, blossomed into an even greater Pomerol, gaining cohesion and revealing its symmetry and structure, with even more complexity and nuance on the finish. A titan.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/1/2021

Rich, with a velvety feel to the mix of crushed plum and steeped fig and boysenberry fruit. Lots of dried anise, tobacco, charcoal and black tea curl around the finish, where a graphite spine is deeply imbedded. Well-structured for the cellar too. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,375 cases made. –JM

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe1/26/2021

Rich, with a velvety feel to the mix of crushed plum and steeped fig and boysenberry fruit. Lots of dried anise, tobacco, charcoal and black tea curl around the finish, where a graphite spine is deeply imbedded. Well-structured for the cellar too. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,375 cases made. — JM

Yvesbeck.wine

100 / 100

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Domaine de 7.2ha. Sols composés de graves argileuses et argiles noires sur crasse de fer. Bouquet exceptionnel de complexité, de subtilité et de profondeur ! Beaucoup de fruits qui cumulent fraîcheur et maturité au travers de parfums de framboises, baies noires et prunes. Touche de cèdre et de nuances fumées. En bouche le vin se révèle avec élégance et persuasion. Il est ample, crémeux, imposant mais subtile. Il incarne parfaitement la notion de force tranquille, de grand vin. Ses tannins sont précis, puissants et en phase avec la vivacité et l'énergie de la structure acide. Que de profondeur et de longueur dans ce vin. C'est une très grande réussite qui se hisse au rang des meilleurs Bordeaux 2018.

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/19/2021

Super nose of dried blueberry, black plum, walnut, myrrh and sandalwood. Lavender, violet, and chocolate, too. Ripe with wood now, but fresh. It’s full-bodied with firm, ultra fine tannins. Lots of dark spice is interlaced with the ripe fruit, giving this complex, perfumed character. Muscular, long and seamless with incredible depth and concentration. Reminds me of the great 2009, but this is better with more structure. Amazing wine. This is 100% merlot. Try from 2027.

Vinous

97-99 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Trotanoy has a "barnstorming" bouquet with intense blackberry, black truffle, warm gravel and bay leaf aromas that instantly seduced the senses. Quintessential Trotanoy. The palate is medium-bodied and packed with black and red fruit laced with minerals. You can feel the energy and tension of this Trotanoy, the distinctive gravelly terroir shining through from start till the end. The finish is almost pixelated in definition, completing not just one of the best Pomerols of the vintage, but one of the vintage’s best wines.

WeinWisser

19,5 / 20

the5/7/2019

Bettane & Desseauve

96 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2019

Tout en retenue, un trotanoy tout en intensité structurelle avec du muscle, de la délicatesse et un satiné haute couture.

Vinifera

96 /

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Nez profond et séveux, qui tire sur les épices, le musc, la gousse de vanille dans le côté malté. Attaque crémeuse, grande densité de tanins impeccablement enrobés, vin ample, dansant, profond à la fraîcheur rarissime dans le millésime. Assurément un coureur de fond, grande bouteille.  

La Revue du Vin de France

18-19 / 20

the4/24/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

I'm not sure why bottled decadence is not enough of a descriptor. For those that either want me to work harder or who wish to gain further insight into this wine or both, let's begin with its inky color and the floral bouquet, which is something for the front window of the ritziest florist in town. The dark, red pit fruits offer intensity, purity and opulent textures not found in other wines. The depth in the finish is matched by the length. If you want to know what great Pomerol is all about, this wine is the prime example. Give it at least a decade or more before popping a cork.

Wine Advocate

97-99 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

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.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

This is a powerful wine that is striated with big tannins from the Merlot. Dark and concentrated, its solid core of tannins contrasts with the bright acidity and beautifully fresh black currant flavor. It will age magnificently.

Decanter.com

98 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

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.

Jamessuckling.com

98-99 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

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.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

99 / 100

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Wine Spectator

97-100 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2019

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.

Wine Spectator

97-100 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/28/2019

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