Espérance de Trotanoy 2016/17
Purchased by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1953, Château Trotanoy was considered one of the premier crus of Pomerol as of the eighteenth century. Since 2009, a selection of gravel based parcels on the north-eastern part of the estate have been dedicated to Espérance de Trotanoy, a wine that is fruit-forward and approachable after just a few years of cellaring, but that maintains the depth, complexity, and incredible concentration of flavour that are so characteristic of Trotanoy’s unique terroir. Espérance de Trotanoy, which is produced in limited quantities and only in certain years, is vinified in small concrete vats and aged in French oak barrels. Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) display dark berries on the nose, with an exciting ferrous charge and fine chalky mineral detail. The palate is more densely fruited than the nose suggests, rather taking you aback in both its grandeur and its resemblance to the great grand vin itself. There is a beautifully cohesive viscosity here, which drives powerfully through to a long, perfumed finish. Lifted and light on its feet, despite the serious fruit weight and tannic chassis.
