Aromas and flavors of dark fruit, plums, mushrooms, pine cones, cedar and tile. Full-bodied, yet reserved, with ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate. So layered and beautiful. Hints of crushed stone and deep earth on the finish.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: Aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plums, framed by notions of raw cocoa, loamy soil, spices and licorice, introduce the 2019 Trotte Vieille, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that’s broad, textural and enveloping, built around succulent acids and ripe, powdery tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish.
- Wine Enthusiast: This is going to be a great vintage for this Premier Grand Cru Classé estate. The tannins give it a dry core, lending a serious character to the wine’s black currant flavors. It shows great aging potential.
Producer Information
Château Trotte Vieille (sometimes encountered as TrotteVieille or Trottevieille) is a wine estate in Saint-Émilion, just one kilometer (0.6 miles) east of the town itself, on the famed Saint-Emilion plateau, neighboring the likes of châteaux La Couspaude, Troplong-Mondot and Balestard La Tonelle. The Merlot-dominant estate dates back to 1453 and has belonged to the Borie-Manoux négociant business since 1949. In 1955 it was rated as Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the official classification of Saint-Émilion wines, a status it has retained through every subsequent reiteration of the famed classification. The origins of the château’s name lie in the 14th Century. Legend has it that a little old lady would walk, or trot, down to the crossing where passing stagecoaches from Bordeaux would make a stop. She would hassle travellers for any news from the city, and the people of Saint-Émilion nicknamed her “la trotte vieille”, or “the old trot”. Viticulture at Château Trotte Vieille was first officially recorded in a document dating from 1453, making Trotte Vieille one of the oldest in the appellation. Indeed, some of the vines in the 10-hectare (25-acre) walled vineyard are more than 140 years old. The dominant grape variety is Merlot, closely followed by Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. These vines are planted in red clay soils overlying limestone. Château Trotte Vieille’s grand vin is Merlot-predominant, as is the second wine, La Vieille Dame de Trotte Vieille. Harvest is done by hand and the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled concrete vats. This fermentation lasts approximately 15-20 days in the case of the grand vin, after which the wine is then aged in oak barrels for 12-18 months. Borie-Manoux also owns two other properties in Bordeaux: Château Batailley in Pauillac and Château Beau-Site in Saint-Estèphe.
