Chateau Trotte Vieille 2015
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Subtle and complex aromas of dried flowers, berries, blackberries and black olives. Minerals, limestone and rust to boot. Full-bodied, layered and tannic, yet the phenolic structure is all about strength with finesse. It lasts a very long time. The new classic from here... 1961 all over? Try in 2024 and behold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Trottevieille is blend of 49% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 28 September and 9 October matured in 100% new oak. It has a very intense bouquet, tightly wound with red and black fruit, hints of truffle coming through with aeration and then it appears to calm down and achieve a wonderful level of definition. The palate is medium-bodied with superb clarity. It feels supple in the mouth, extremely pure and soaking up the new oak with ease. It has a lively orange sorbet and red fruit-driven finish that is silky smooth in texture, thanks to the fineness of the tannin. Cellar this for 5-8 years minimum and then revel in this ascendant Saint Emilion for the next three or four decades.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Wine Enthusiast
This estate always produces serious wines, but with this vintage it has added a layer of sumptuous fruit that enhances the complex, dark profile. A strong texture and concentrated tannins are balanced by the juicy black-currant flavors and powerful aftertaste. Drink from 2026.
Cellar Selection -
Decanter
Firm, toasty nose, very ripe but robust. The attack is splendid, with the Cabernet Franc contributing freshness and vigour to the palate, which is very concentrated but not overbearing. There’s fine tannic backbone and structure, and a long, spicy finish. This is classic St-Emilion, less flashy than some, with the new oak perfectly integrated.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Notes of black raspberries, framboise, vanilla and lots of toasty oak emerge from the 2015 Château TrotteVieille, and it stays fresh and lively on the palate, with charming, sweet fruit, light tannin, and a good finish. Give it a few years to integrate its oak and enjoy over the following decade or more.
Rating: 92+
Other Vintages
2022- Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
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Robert
Parker
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Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
The present-day chateau is surrounded by attractive grounds as well as vines. THe vineyard overlooks a small south-facing valley, and the vines have remarkable sun exposure. The terroir consists of a thin layer (thirty centuries) of clay soil on a limestone shelf. Visible in former quarries found on the estate, vine roots have pushed through in search of nourishment. There is also a small plot of pre-phylloxera vines approximately 120 years old.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.