1995 Chateau Trotanoy, Pomerol

A deep garnet core with deep brick rim though it is not quite as clear as I was expecting. A fine multi-faceted nose of dates, sous-bois, graphite and tar, then a touch of liquorice developing. A soft entry, the first where the tannins have matured enough to be pleasurable. Raspberry, tar, a touch of savoury fruits on the mid-palate. Harmonious but there is a touch of rusticity here which I find endearing. Clams up on the finish indicating that it could do with another five or six years cellaring. Very impressive. Drink 2012-2035. Tasted May 2007.

Dried flowers, with chocolate and hints of fruit. Quickly opens and gives you more on the nose if you look for it. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Builds on your palate. Still needs time. Racy and refined. Fantastic.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. James Suckling

(a blend of 95% merlot and 5% cabernet franc; 3.61 pH; IPT 69;13.7% alcohol): Deep red with an amber rim. Complex but reticent nose offers pure aromas of dark berries, kirsch, smoke, minerals and coffee. Big, rich and broad, with harmonious acidity framing the red cherry, coffee and dried herb flavors. This classic, complete Pomerol wine spreads out to saturate the palate, with chewy tannins reaching the front teeth. I remember this having been a very backward Trotanoy at the outset but one that promised to turn into a wine of explosive richness; it is now beginning to hint at that potential greatness. To my mind, it's one of the best Trotanoys of the '80s and '90s, in the same quality league as 1982, 1989, and 1998. Jean-Claude Berrouet described it as "one of the great classics of Pomerol and a wine with incredible aging potential."

Better on the nose, with its truffle, earth, plum, tobacco leaf, and plum nose, than on the palate, which expresses the austere side of the vintage. The wine tries to soften and fill out, but it holds on to its tannic spine, dusty tannins, and firm, old-school, classic edge. It will be long-lived, but it is not a hedonistic Pomerol. Drink from 2023-2045. Tasted April 2023

Certainly the best Trotanoy between 1998 and 1982, the 1995 has a deep saturated ruby color that is dark to the rim. Relatively shut down when tasted in 2002 on several occasions, the wine, with coaxing, does offer some notes of earth, raspberry, black cherries, and a hint of licorice. Medium to full-bodied, powerful, and backward, it is an impressively constituted Trotanoy that is relatively large-scaled but the huge level of tannin also means it might be a modern-day version of the 1970. Time will tell. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. Last tasted, 2/02.

A fabulous success for Trotanoy, this wine has considerable potential, and may ultimately merit a higher score than I have bestowed upon it. The 1995 boasts a saturated deep purple color, followed by a knock-out nose of black truffles, cherries, raspberries, and kirsch fruit intermixed with spicy oak and beef blood-like scents. Full-bodied, dense, and as powerful and backward as its rival, Lafleur, this broad-shouldered, super-extracted Trotanoy is superb, but don't make the mistake of thinking it will provide easy-going drinking over the near-term. While splendid, this wine possesses extremely high tannin, and needs at least 7-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Bravo!

Bright red-ruby color. Dark berries, cherry and leather on the nose, plus a slightly inky suggestion of austerity. Lush, silky and creamy in the mouth; begins rather restrained, then shows explosive fruitiness and terrific concentration and depth of flavor. Superripe fruit is more than sufficient to support substantial ripe tannins. A rather backward but outstanding Trotanoy that will repay a decade of bottle aging.