Producer | Chateau Trotte Vieille |
Country | France |
Region | Bordeaux |
Subregion | Saint-Emilion |
Varietal | Bordeaux Red Blend |
Vintage | 2020 |
Sku | 210000016589 |
Size | 750ml |
The 2020 Château Trotte Vieille has closed down since I tasted it as a barrel sample in 2021 and needs lots of air, but this is an incredibly gorgeous wine. Its dense purple hue is followed by powerful, inward bouquet of ripe, incredibly pure black and blue fruits, smoky oak, tons of minerality, and a kiss of violets that takes lots of air to shine. The palate is similar in style, with a concentrated, focused, almost austere edge that carries beautiful tannins, awesome extract, flawless overall balance, and a great finish. While it's unquestionably a brilliant wine, it's not for those looking for instant gratification and is much more reserved than the 2019 at this stage. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, and it should have 25 to 30 years of overall longevity.
The 2020 Trotte Vieille opens in the glass with aromas of sweet dark berries, violets and licorice framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with impressive depth at the core, it's nicely balanced but a little wrapped up in firm, seemingly barrel-derived tannins. Improvements are underway in the vineyards, but for now, the élevage would appear to be this estate's weak link.
The 2020 Trotte Vieille is fabulous. Rich, inky and explosive, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of jammy dark fruit, espresso, bittersweet chocolate, cloves and incense. Sumptuous and flamboyant to the core, Trotte Vieille has a ton of personality. Big chocolaty tannins frame the sumptuous finish. This has come together very well.