Fantastic texture and structure to this wine with firm, silky tannins that go on and on. Love the crushed blackberries, blueberries and salt. Floral and mineral character, too. Full and tight with great length. Chewy at the very end, indicating real structure. All about structure and length. 50% cabernet sauvignon, 49% merlot, and 1% cabernet sauvignon.

Deeply colored, the wine jumps from the glass with flowers, licorice, chocolate, spice-box, black cherry, plum liqueur and crushed stone nuances in the perfume. Full-bodied, velvet-textured, silky and vibrant, the finish has real staying power, purity and energy, leaving you with layers of chocolate-coated plums, espresso, spice and herbs on the backend. Concentrated, long and deep, give this 7-8 years in the cellar and it is really going to rock. 95-97

(50% M, 50% CF; 60% harvest; 14.5% ABV; 100% new)
Dense, dumb to smell, but you sense a farily massive presence; full-bodied, fresh to vital, firm in tannin; ripe and sweet and mouthcoating, long and fragrant, firm and yet elegant, complex, tenacious, slightly old-fashioned in its tannin feel, but complete and with excellent length. Sweet, fresh, stylish in its slightly rugged way. Very long and detailed, the texture just a touch coarse by today’s very polished standards. Needs a decade minimum. 2030–50+.

The 2020 Château Trotte Vieille is an exotic, incredibly perfumed Saint-Emilion that comes from a cooler terroir on the upper plateau. Vivid purple-hued, with a crazy nose of blue fruits, violets, flowers, and graphite, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pretty, focused texture, ample tannins, and a great finish. I love its elegance and purity on the palate, and it’s a beautiful wine in the making.

The 2020 Trotte Vieille is laced with inky, jammy dark fruit, licorice and bittersweet chocolate. This heady, potent Saint-Émilion is not exactly subtle, but it does offer tons of intensity in an opulent, heady style. The only thing missing is a bit of midpalate pliancy and overall persistence. Vinous.com

Drink Date
2024 - 2044

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2020 Trotte Vieille is a blend of 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, aging for an anticipated 16 months in French oak barrels, 80% new. The alcohol is 15%. Opaque purple-black in color, it bursts from the glass with vivacious notes of wild blueberries, ripe, juicy black plums and black raspberries, plus hints of lilacs, star anise and tar with a touch of wild thyme. The rich, full-bodied palate coats the mouth with black fruits and exotic spice sparks, framed by grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a fragrant earth note.

The 2020 TrotteVieille is quite broody and backward on the nose at first, demanding 15–20 minutes to open. It then reveals blackberry, sea spray/marine scents and hints of crushed chalk and pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a firm structure, indicating that this is a Saint-Émilion that should be cellared for several years. There is a lovely touch of white pepper and allspice toward the finish. I suspect this is a TrotteVieille that will reward the patient.
- vinous.com

Full bottle 1,340 g. Undated cask sample. 50% Cabernet Franc, 49% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Average vine age 65 years.
Dark purple. On the nose there is no hint of such high alcohol. Very supple texture and a lot of flattering fruit that pretty much distracts from the medium charge of tannin. Much less obvious tannin than most of its peers. A certain appetising savour and energy.