The most structured and impressive Trottevieille I have ever tasted. It is full-bodied yet compacted with a fine velvet texture. Intense finish with super tension and focus. Could move up a notch.

My rough note on the 2022 Château Trotte Vieille included more than one expletive, and this beauty is straight-up gorgeous. Vivid blue fruits, violets, flowers, and chocolate all make an appearance on the nose, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered texture, perfect tannins, and nicely integrated oak. Based on 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it remains to be seen if this will ultimately match the magical 2020, but we're not far off. This is a château readers need to have on their radar.

Even with its location on the heart of the Asteries limestone plateau the colour is insanely dark, a clear imprint of the vintage. This is the second vintage in Trottevielle's new cellars, and it's totally gorgeous, rich and creamy in its delivery of blackberry and blueberry fruits, feels complete, compelx and balanced, with the chocolate and damson core given lift and finesse by a salted cracker and saffran finish. 100% new oak, beautiful wine from the team here, owned by Philippe Casteja.

The 2022 Trotte Vieille represents the first year when all the Cabernet Sauvignon entered the Grand Vin (5%). Picked from 2 to 27 September, it is aged entirely in new oak. It has an intense bouquet that is well-defined albeit coated with the oak at the moment - this will be subsumed with time. There is an underlying orange pith/tangerine element lending nuance. The palate is very harmonious on the entry with pliant tannins. Very precise, silky smooth in texture thanks to the use of their new cuveries equipped with smaller vats. The acidity is nicely judged, opulent yet controlled with a touch of white pepper right on the finish. Very stylish.

The 2022 Trotte Vieille is a hugely intriguing wine. The aromatics alone are wonderfully alluring. Sweet red-toned fruit, mint, blood orange, spice, licorice and rose petal infuse the 2022 with compelling inner perfume. Layered and complex, with tons of character, Trotte Vieille is shaping up to be terrific. In 2022, Trotte Vieille is not as bombastic as it has been in some recent years, and that is a positive.

The quality of the 2022 Trotte Vieille took me by surprise, but clearly more diligent viticulture, combined with a new winery equipped with fully 26 vats for the estate's 11 hectares of vineyards, is beginning to pay off, as this is the most complete, integrated young wine I have ever tasted at this address. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, rose petals, violets and incense, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a deep core of vibrant fruit, beautifully refined tannins and a long, saline finish. A blend of fully 50% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, it derives exclusively from Trotte Vieille's historic clay-limestone walled vineyard.

50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Polished purple. Light but well-mannered nose. Opulent, smooth palate entry and tannins well mastered even if the fruit is not that complex and has a very slight raisiny edge to it. Sweet finish. (JR)