Château Trotte Vieille 2020

Liquorice, gorgeous floral notes and fragrance on the nose; roses, violets and jasmine with tobacco and cedar touches. Smooth and so supple, forward, bright and lively. Really great energy and life in the glass. Acidity lifts the expression straight away giving this a crunchy tang and bite to the fruit—a sharp thrill that counters the power that is evident underneath. Feels sleek and well worked. Lovely balance and length, the hint of sweetness and the minerality is so pleasing. A baby now but this feels like it will be equally as approachable as the 2016 and 2018. Smooth and captivating with gorgeous tannins. Succulence is great. This puts a smile on your face with the ripeness at the end mingling with the stoniness and fresh mint. Lots going on here.

The 2020 Trotte Vieille is fabulous. Rich, inky and explosive, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of jammy dark fruit, espresso, bittersweet chocolate, cloves and incense. Sumptuous and flamboyant to the core, Trotte Vieille has a ton of personality. Big chocolaty tannins frame the sumptuous finish. This has come together very well.

With a serious depth of color, the wine pops from the glass with its array of flowers, black, red and blue fruits, chocolate, licorice, Indian spices and oceanic fragrances. The wine is full-bodied, rich, concentrated and intense, with lusciously textured layers of perfectly black and red fruits, crushed rocks, chocolate and espresso on the mid-palate that stick with you through to the finish. This is simply stunning from start to finish. With all of its ripe fruits, it will be fabulous in its youth, but it has serious aging potential. Drink from 2025-2050.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Trotte Vieille shoots from the glass with bold notions of baked black plums, fruitcake, and Indian spices, followed by suggestions of sandalwood, aniseed, unsmoked cigars, and fallen leaves. The rich, full-on, full-bodied palate is jam packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and opulent. This is so decadent. Though tempting to drink right now, give it a good five years in the cellar for the nuances to fan out, then drink it over the next 30 years+.

Cabernet Franc (50%) slightly outweighs Merlot (48%) and of course Cabernet-Sauvignon (3%) in this well-proportioned 2020. Beneath an intense purple robe, the high concentration of fruit expression stands out. A bouquet with hints of licorice and expressive oak. This sun-drenched vintage conveys a serene, elegantly textured palate. A marked minerality lingers on the finish of this well-polished wine, with no harshness. It will appeal to palates seeking softness.

A noble bouquet of blue fruits, small wild blueberries, and iris, with an almost imperceptible freshness. Straight and refined on the palate, it has wonderful elegance, finishing on a lifted finale.

The 2020 Château Trotte Vieille has shut down since I tasted it as a barrel sample in 2021 and needs plenty of air, but this is an incredibly gorgeous wine. Its dense purple hue is followed by a powerful, inward bouquet of ripe, incredibly pure black and blue fruits, smoky oak, tons of minerality, and a kiss of violets that takes lots of air to shine. The palate is similar in style, with a concentrated, focused, almost austere edge that carries beautiful tannins, awesome extract, flawless overall balance, and a great finish. While it’s unquestionably a brilliant wine, it’s not for those seeking instant gratification and is much more reserved than the 2019 at this stage. Hide bottles for 7–8 years, and it should have 25 to 30 years of overall longevity.