Château Trotte Vieille 2019

Superb, truly beguiling élevage aromas typical of great wines, complex, fruity and spicy with distinctive mineral accents; on the palate it shows not only remarkable volume and breed, but also exquisite depth, tension and length; first-class, finely polished tannins. A complete wine that can age for a long time—and should.

This delivers a very forthright beam of dark currant, plum and blackberry fruit flavors that show a distinct roasted edge, while singed tobacco leaf, juniper and cedar notes fill in through the finish. A touch austere in the end, though there's depth and length here. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2037. 3,000 cases made.

Planted on the limestone plateau, with just 30cm of overlying clay, Trotte Vieille exudes pleasing mint freshness from the 49% Cabernet Franc in the blend. It has evolved rather quickly since I last tried it in 2021, showing baked plum, mocha richness and sapidity on the palate. Its once chalky, somewhat tight tannins have given way to smooth succulence. A fleshy wine that provides much crowd appeal, and for its high rank, not that expensive.

The 2019 Trotte Vieille has closed up a little on the nose, yet there are still very attractive black cherry and iodine scents that gradually unfold with aeration. A touch of fresh fig appears in the background. The well-balanced palate delivers pure blackberry and raspberry fruit laced with graphite and minerals. Almost Left Bank in style, this shows great clarity and fans out wonderfully on the finish. Superb.

Perfectly ripe black cherries, plums and blackberries show up with just a little bit of effort before you get to all the licorice, wet earth, mocha and chocolate subtleties. Medium/full-bodied, vibrant, lifted, long and elegant, there is the structure to age and evolve for decades, which is a good thing, because it will take some time for the wine’s mineral essences, spice and floral notes to fully develop. Drink from 2025–2050.

Gorgeously pure notes of blue fruits, violets, spring flowers, and graphite emerge from the 2019 Château Trotte Vieille, a silky, concentrated, sensational Saint-Emilion. Clearly the finest vintage from this château I've tasted, it's medium to full-bodied, has a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's a "wow" wine in the vintage that can be drunk today or cellared for two decades. Bravo!

Trotte Vieille often needs a few years in bottle to soften the austerity that comes from such high levels of Cabernet Franc on pretty much pure limestone soils. This 2019 is going to be worth the wait, and is just as exceptionally poised and deft as it was En Primeur. You get mouthwatering slate scrape, with a lick of saffron, white pepper and crushed stones, but this also shows clear gourmet notes of liquorice, plump raspberry and blackberry fruits, and cappuccino cream that reflect the ripeness of the vintage. Love it.

The 2019 Trotte Vieille, a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with notes of cedar and underbrush, expanding to baked blackberries, boysenberry preserves, and wild sage scents with a waft of cloves. The densely packed, full-bodied palate has a refreshing backbone and chewy tannins, with savory layers and a lifted finish.

The Grand Vin in 2019, born from the Merlot/Cabernet Franc pairing and spiced up by a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, offers a texture that extends on a mineral edge. Still young and under the influence of oak, in the cru’s traditional style, it will take longer to reveal its depth, with firm, sanguine bitterness shaping the finish.

The average age of the vineyard is 55 years. The oldest vines, on their own roots, are over 130 years old. Ageing lasts around 18 months with 100% new barrels (7 different coopers, only medium-toast barrels). The bouquet clearly highlights its complexity. It perfectly combines nuances of black berries and élevage, while the palate shows a slender profile, finished by firm tannins that can carry the wine over time. Refreshing salinity on the finish. A wine that cannot—and does not seek to—show its full profile right away. That may be its drawback, but over the years it confirms its ability to deliver excellent drives! Patience is the watchword.