History

Purchased by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1953, Château 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 Espérance 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. Espérance 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

Vintage Notes

After a mild winter, spring alternated between sun and rain. Narrowly escaping a frost on April 13th, it was the rain in early June that first influenced the vintage. Indeed, the flowering suffered as a result and Merlot grapes counted an average of just 120 berries (instead of 200 usually). Confirming global warming trends, the summer was exceptionally sunny and warm, just missing the historic record for hours of sunshine set in 2018. On the gravel plateau of Pomerol, hydric stress set in as early as mid-July. Happily, we received gentle, favorable rain on July 26th (1.4 inches) that set off a quick and even veraison. This moment marked the qualitative turn of the vintage. At the end of August, Merlot grapes weighed 1.2 grams on average (instead of 1.5 grams in a normal vintage), heralding exceptional concentration but low yields: -20% in Pomerol. Graced by fine weather, we harvested optimally ripe grapes in one day on September 21st.