2001 Chateau Trotanoy Pomerol

(96 Points)  ----  (John Gilman)

The 2001 vintage of Château Trotanoy is just starting to drink well, though the wine is still in climbing mode and will be even better with another half dozen years to further drop some more of its tannins. But, the wine is evolving beautifully in bottle and is clearly destined to take its place as one of the legendary vintages here at this fine Pomerol estate. The last time I drank this wine was fully a decade ago and that particular bottle did not show particularly well, being quite hunkered down in a grumpy adolescence. With another decade in the cellar, the wine is starting to truly sing and clearly I completely underestimated the wine ten years ago, or our bottle then was not pristine. In any case, today, the 2001 Château Trotanoy is utterly brilliant. The bouquet is deep, sappy and complex, wafting from the glass in a blend of black cherries, plums, cigar smoke, dark soil tones, a lovely touch of grilled meats, iron, smoky oak and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and plush at the core, with beautiful focus and grip, superb soil undertow, ripe, moderating tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and utterly refined finish. A great vintage of Trotanoy.   Reviewed November 2023