| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Saint Emilion property is owned by the Castéja family of Château Batailley. Quality has been impressive here in recent vintages. The vineyard is planted with 50% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc - some of which is over 100 years old - with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2022 is the first vintage to be made in the fully renovated facilities, which include 26 vats for 11 hectares of land. This is the highest ever percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon with the full 5% used.
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.
Trottevieille is very impressive this year. Intense cassis and blueberry fruit waft from the glass together with fine vanilla spice. Polished, vibrant and juicy on the palate, the tannins have an as yet unseen refinement for this property, finely grained, ripe and wonderfully integrated. The cashmere texture allows the pure fruit core to shine, vibrant and intense. There is a strong wood spice note, but it is balanced with the fruit. The finish has a hint of graphite and dried herbs, adding to the complexity and taming the sweetness. A great effort that could make this score look conservative in bottle.
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.
The 2022 Trotte Vieille is composed of 50% CS, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc - less Cabernet Franc this year because the Cabernet Sauvignon was so good. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with evocative notes of redcurrant jelly, warm cassis, baked plums, and candied violets, giving way to suggestions of licorice, tar, and black truffles. The full-bodied palate explodes with vibrant, expressive black berry and earthy flavors, framed by beautifully ripe, plush tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is stunning.
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.
