Château Trotanoy 2020 by corneyandbarrowltd

CHÂTEAU TROTANOY POMEROL 2020

EN PRIMEUR EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

“…menace and bite, but also beauty.” JANE ANSON, MAY 2021

“You’re walking away with my heart and my soul.” TINA TURNER, 1991

TROTANOY 2020 The quote opposite captures Trotanoy 2020 rather well. A wine wrought from unbelievably tough soils, its character compounded by the extreme summer heat of the year of its birth. Like a teenager with attitude, you can’t tell if it’s smiling, smirking or grimacing. For Édouard Moueix, it is “compact… almost like a rock, an impenetrable ball of ink.” Christian Moueix, with a knowing smile, calls it “so intense…” The clue to Trotanoy 2020’s future is in that smile. The calm reassurance of 50 years of experience of this iconic Pomerol property. Yes, the wine is elemental, primordial – but once the fire and brimstone subside, sunlit meadows await. Whether we see the 100% Merlot Trotanoy 2020 as the third in a hallowed trio of vintages, a worthy successor to the brilliant 2016, or simply as a reference Trotanoy in its own right, it doesn’t really matter. This is a stunning wine, worthy of a place in any great collection. We are again also offering a ready-to-drink vintage of Trotanoy’s second wine, Espérance de Trotanoy. The 2017 vintage of Espérance is not to be missed, and is available for immediate delivery.

GUY SEDDON June 2021

THE HISTORY The vines of the 18th century ‘Trop ennuie’ formed the western extremity of Pomerol. Only the central plateau was planted with vines at that time, whilst on today’s map of Pomerol, Trotanoy sits almost dead centre, due north of the village of Catusseau. By the 19th century, Trotanoy had the twin distinctions of being Pomerol’s joint-largest volume producer and being ranked second in quality – behind Vieux Château Certan and ahead of Petrus.* Trotanoy can therefore be seen to owe its longstanding importance in the Pomerol fabric to both its historical size and its increasingly dominant geographical location. Various plots were sold off over the years to settle inheritance expenses. One former parcel forms the

core of today’s Château Latour à Pomerol. By 1908, the holdings had been reduced to a still-fairly-substantial 18 hectares. Jean-Pierre Moueix (pictured opposite) purchased Trotanoy in 1953. This was both his most significant acquisition to date and the turning point in the estate’s history. Under the steely resolve of Jean-Pierre and later the nurturing hand of his son Christian Moueix, Trotanoy rose to the position it holds today.

Bordeaux et Ses Vins, Cocks et Féret, 1868

Jean-Pierre Moueix

8 Map reproduced with kind permission of Neal Martin, Wine Journal Publishing and Kelley Moueix.

VINEYARD HOLDINGS 2019 VINTAGE Size (hectares)

2020 Vintage Blend

Average Vine Age (yrs)

Soil

Average Production (doz)

7.2

100% Merlot

Gravel on clay and black clay on iron pan

1,670 dozen bottle cases

Credit Benjamin Duvignac

THE VINEYARD The first impression of Trotanoy’s soils is of a sea of white pebbles, which shine piercingly in the sun. These retain heat, helping protect against frost. They also become treacherously slippery when wet, whilst the clay beneath bakes solid in dry summers – hence ‘Trop ennuie’ – ‘too much’, ‘too difficult’... The 7.2 hectares of vines here are planted partly on the western extremity of the plateau, partly on a west-facing slope. There is deep gravel at the top and progressively more clay as you descend. The subsoil contains sand and then a rock-hard layer of iron-rich soil, Pomerol’s famous crasse de fer. The map to the left was drawn by Kelley Moueix, Édouard’s wife. As it shows, the vineyard comprises six parcels. The cypress-lined entrance is flanked by Entrée Gauche and Entrée Droite. Along with La Marinette (south-east, towards Le Pin), these have some of the deepest gravel soils in Pomerol. To the north-west are Le Hangar and Les Argiles, the latter named for its heavy clay soil. La Piscine lies behind the château, with Latour à Pomerol beyond. The last significant replanting was a parcel of Merlot in 2002. Old vines prevail, the average age being nearly 40 years. The plantings are 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, although the blend in 2020 is once again 100% Merlot. On average, only 20,000 bottles are produced per year.

THE CELLAR The approach at Trotanoy was initiated by the great JeanClaude Berrouet, who over five decades made some of the most legendary Pomerols, including at Trotanoy and Petrus. It is, quite simply, to intervene as little as possible.

Jean-Claude Berrouet’s last complete vintage at Trotanoy was 2006, when he was succeeded as technical director for Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix by Éric Murisasco. Éric had worked as cellar master alongside Jean-Claude since 1993, meaning continuity was and is assured. The grapes are sorted and fully de-stemmed. An optical grape sorter is on hand if required, having been used at all Moueix properties since 2009. Following fermentation and maceration for around three weeks in temperature controlled concrete vats, at a relatively low 26°C, the wine ages for 20 months in French oak barrels, 40-50% of which are new. It is fined with egg whites, with no filtration.

THE GROWING SEASON Intense… Christian Moueix’s succinct description of Trotanoy 2020 applies equally well to the growing season. The winter of 2019-20 was unusually warm, the mildest in France since the beginning of the 20th century. It followed a very wet autumn that replenished the soil water reserves. January and February were uncommonly dry, the continued warmth encouraging an early budbreak. Spring remained warm but with high rainfall. Nonetheless, flowering was pristine and early, leading into an even and abundant fruit set, bringing an expectation of strong yields. Summer was hot and dry. July, which saw the peak of the summer drought, was where Trotanoy’s deep, moistureretentive clay soils came into their own, meting out crucial water supplies to their vines. Véraison (colour change) took place between 14th and 29th July. Welcome rain in mid-August brought freshness and safeguarded the grapes’ maturation. From the end of August, cool nights preserved the all-important acids, while warm September days encouraged the final buildup of sugars and colour-giving anthocyanins. Harvest at Trotanoy started on 15th September and finished on the 18th – positively relaxed compared to last year’s 2019, the entirety of which was picked in one day. The yield was around 42hl/ha.

Édouard Moueix

THE ALLOCATION PROCESS The nature of En Primeur means stocks are limited. We use our exclusive relationships to secure as much as possible. You can always order with confidence from Corney & Barrow.

• The focus of Château Trotanoy and Corney & Barrow is on the private customer and as a consumer rather than a speculator. • The wines are bought on the clear understanding that they will be stored and delivered in the UK only. • Should you wish to sell the wines in the future, do please offer Corney & Barrow first refusal as this will ensure the integrity of secondary market distribution, something which is of great concern to Château Trotanoy and Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix. • Priority will be given to Ets JP Moueix’s, Château Trotanoy’s and Corney & Barrow’s best, most loyal and most regular customers.

As detailed above, all orders are conditional upon UK storage only. Do please speak to our sales team, who will be delighted to help you further. May we please have your order by 9th July 2021. Allocations will be completed by 15th July 2021. Confirmation of order will be through receipt of invoice and the wine will be put into your reserve on payment.

TASTING NOTES ESPÉRANCE DE TROTANOY 2017

CHÂTEAU TROTANOY 2020

Tasting note by Guy Seddon

Tasting note by Adam Brett-Smith

Trotanoy’s second wine, Espérance de Trotanoy, is released once bottled. It comes from the younger vines of two deep gravel parcels at the heart of the estate, ‘La Piscine’ and ‘Entrée Droite’.

100% Merlot again in 2020 which, with its unique soil – a dense mixture of clay and gravel with iron rich “crasse de fer” underneath – offers a stunning wine in this vintage. Trotanoy appears to wear the hot and dry heart of the growing season almost casually on its sleeve….

Dark, rocky aromas accompany ripe blackberry and sweet spices, with just the right amount of cedary polish. The palate has a gratifying density of fruit, with fresh acidity making for a highly drinkable, accessible style. The meeting of silky fruit and gravelly nuance is unmistakably Trotanoy. Beautifully extracted tannins are enveloped in a deft coating of violet-hued fruit.

2017 Espérance is both seriously attractive and highly approachable – perhaps offering future echoes of its 2020 big brother…

Opaque ruby colour. The nose is fathomlessly dark and meaty, still muted at this early stage but with flashes of deepest red and black fruit perfume. The palate possesses an almost eery (that word again) combination of sensuously rich, clenched fruit and massive extract but the whole is flawlessly balanced with a lifted freshness that holds these profound ingredients quite effortlessly. Terrific concentration to the sweet/dry, sustained finish. “A velvet fist in an iron glove”, I scribbled rather uselessly. Tremendous wine.

Corney & Barrow Score 18 Recommended drinking from 2022 - 2032

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19 Recommended drinking from 2029 - 2035+

£350/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

£1,495/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK £1,505/Case of 3 magnums, in bond UK

Tasting Guide Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score. Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.

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