The 2020 L’Espérance de Trotanoy is the second wine of the renowned Château Trotanoy in Pomerol, crafted from select gravel-rich parcels of the estate. This vintage reveals an aromatic bouquet of fresh violets, purple fruit, and a touch of chocolate. On the palate, it’s medium- to full-bodied with integrated tannins and a refined structure. Though already elegant, it promises even more complexity with time—best enjoyed from 2028 onward. A refined and expressive wine that reflects the character and depth of its exceptional terroir.

James Suckling | JS 94
Published: Mar 28, 2023

Lots of freshly cut violets on the nose with purple fruits and hints of chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied. Integrated tannins. Second wine of Trotanoy. Needs time to soften and open. Try after 2028.

Winemaker

Purchased by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1953, Chateau Trotanoy was considered one of the premier crus of Pomerol as of the eighteenth century.

Since 2009, a selection of gravel-based parcels on the north-eastern part of the estate have been dedicated to Esperance de Trotanoy, a wine that is fruit-forward and approachable after just a few years of cellaring, but that maintains the depth, complexity, and incredible concentration of flavor that are so characteristic of Trotanoy's unique terroir.

The Trotanoy vineyard, located in one of the best-exposed areas of the plateau and spared, in part, by the dramatic frosts of 1956, slopes gently to the west. The soil is a very dense mixture of clay and gravel which tends to solidify as it dries out after rain to an almost concrete-like hardness, hence the name Trot-anoy, too wearisome to cultivate.

The soil at the highest point of exposure contains a good proportion of gravel, becoming progressively more dominated by clay as the elevation declines. Under this clay is a subsoil of red gravel and an impermeable layer of hard, iron-rich soil known as crasse de fer. This fascinating soil diversity brings power, depth and complexity to the wines.

Esperance de Trotanoy, which is produced in limited quantities and only in certain years, is vinified in small concrete vats and aged in French oak barrels.