Château Trotte Vieille 2018
• Domaine: Château Trotte Vieille
• Appellation: Saint-Emilion
• Classification: Premier Grand Cru Classé B
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
Château Trotte Vieille is one of the oldest estates in Saint-Émilion – with records of the property’s inception as a working winery dating back to 1453. Though there were some vineyards in the region that dated back to the Roman Era, there are very few reports of working wineries with a history as long-lived as that of Château Trotte Vieille. The wines from this Saint-Émilion Premiere Grand Cru Classé B are remarkably ageable yet approachable while young. Critics such as James Suckling consider Château Trotte Vieille one of the more underrated Saint-Émilion First Growth estates – and that might very much be true. Regardless, with ever increasing scores and recognition, Château Trotte Vieille is surely a must for any savvy wine buyer.
The story of how the estate derives its name is a colorfully comedic one. Centuries ago, an old woman – who was quite the gossip – lived on the property. She knew everything about everyone and was always trotting around town prattling on about the latest scandal. Perhaps she was lonely living on such a vast estate all by herself – who knows – but either way, whenever a Stagecoach would arrive at the end of the long drive, the Old Woman would trot over to the Coach and share the latest stories on everyone’s business in Saint-Émilion. Local townspeople would call her, “Old Trot,” or Trotte Vieille and the name stuck.
Yet despite this charming story, the wines of Château Trotte Vieille are meant to be taken seriously. Château Trotte Vieille was purchased by Marcel Borie, the head of a negociant called Borie-Manoux in 1949. Marcel gave the property to his son-in-law, Emille Castéja to manage it, and it has been managed by the Castéjas ever since. Château Trotte Vieille is currently being run by Phillippe Castéja. The estate has some impressive terroir of clay mixed with limestone soil, and the vineyard is planted in one single block – something quite unusual in the Right Bank appellation of Saint-Émilion. The plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon are a bit on the older side – ranging from 50 to 100 years old.
Perhaps one of the more unique aspects of Château Trotte Vieille are the small amount pre-phylloxera vines that are 150 years of age. This is quite a rare occurrence, as phylloxera – a parasitic wood louse that preys on wine grapes – nearly devastated the entire production of Bordeaux wine during the late 1800s. Somehow the vineyards at Château Trotte Vieille were lucky and managed to escape the phylloxera plague. Interestingly enough, extremely limited quantity of wine is produced from a small selection of pre-phylloxera Cabernet Franc, but it’s only available at the tasting room.
The wine from Château Trotte Vielle is fresh, with a beautiful oceanic mineral quality from the limestone terroir, which is somewhat typical of Saint-Émilion. The quality continues to improve with each passing vintage and is a worthy purchase for any Right Bank connoisseur. The wines of Château Trotte Vielle do require a bit of bottle ageing during good vintages. They are fresh, with a beautiful oceanic mineral quality from the limestone terroir, which is somewhat typical of St-Émilion. The quality of their Grand Vin continues to improve with each passing vintage and is a worthy purchase for any Right Bank connoisseur.
Tasting Notes
"The 2018 TrotteVieille is a super-intriguing wine. Aromatically deep and layered, the 2018 offers tremendous depth and textural finesse. Mocha, grilled herbs, black cherry, new leather and spice all wrap around the palate in a dense, racy Saint-Émilion. The blend is 54% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon." - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, (April, 2019), Ratings: 93-96
"There's a floral edge to the nose here that is clear from the start - the old Cabernet Franc vines and the limestone have served Trotte Vieille well in 2018. It has good juiciness, full of such beautiful signatures of the property, from its mineral, slatey character that scales the walls, to its creamy texture and brambly and raspberry jelly fruit, all finished off with a saline kick on the finish. Great stuff. 38hl/ha yield. 100% new oak" - Jane Anson, Decanter (4/1/2019), Ratings: 95
"A light touch has come into this typically serious wine. The bright acidity and forward black currant fruits lift the tannins and spice. It has delicious freshness and concentration that will allow the wine to develop well." - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (4/17/2019), Ratings: 95-97
"Coming from the upper plateau and always including lots of Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Trotte Vieille reveals a healthy ruby/purple color as well as elegant, complex notes of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, cedarwood, and violets. Beautifully balanced on the palate, it needs lots of air to show at its best, but it's medium to full-bodied and has a focused, firm texture, ripe tannins, and a beautiful finish. As always, this has an incredible floral character, and the purity of fruit is terrific. It needs 4-6 years in the cellar, but I suspect it will keep for 20 years or more. It's one of the finest wines I've tasted from this estate." Jeb Dunnuck, 2018 Bordeaux From The Bottle (3/11/2021) Rating: 93
"Nez de caramel au lait et de cerise noire très caractéristique du cru, avec une pointe poivrée très salivante. La bouche marquée par ses 54% de cabernet franc et 2% de cabernet-sauvignon est l’une des plus stylées de Saint-Emilion, par son élégance et sa très grande fraîcheur. Après la mise en bouteille, il pourrait bien intégrer le top cinq de Saint-Emilion." - BETTANE & DESSEAUVE (5/3/2019), Ratings: 96-97
LWIN | 1015968 |
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Stock Status | In Stock |
Appellation | Saint-Emilion |
Vintage | 2018 |
Brand | Château Trotte Vieille |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |