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.

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 In this vintage, some of the imposing structure that is such a Trotanoy signature has been replaced by super-expressive aromatics and striking detail.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.

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.

This stood out en primeur and it does again in bottle (I also tasted it in between at a Decanter Fine Wine Encounter), more than holding its own over ageing. There is just so much to sink your teeth into: a ton of textured blackberry and bilberry fruits, with cocoa pods and saffron spice, giving a clue as to the warmth of the vintage, but still shot through with fresh acidity. Young and curled, this needs time.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at Bordeaux, 10 Nov 2020)
Part of Bordeaux 2018 in bottle: full overview plus top scoring wines

Black core with deep cherry rim. Sweet black fruit with a touch of vanilla. Darker and more savoury on the palate, with lovely freshness that is both acidity and tannins. Fine-boned even with all this fruit concentration and aromatic richness. Thick, compact chewy tannins that build in the mouth and need plenty of time in the bottle but the balance is there for a long life though there is a slight hardness on the finish at the moment. - Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019

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.

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.

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.