1998 Trotanoy, Pomerol
SKU #1028978
99 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1998 Trotanoy displays a deep garnet-purple color. Wow. Tons of gregarious fruit springs from the glass—crème de cassis, blackberry pie, blueberry compote and mincemeat with suggestions of cigar box, chargrilled meat, incense, earth and dried cherries plus a touch of dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it coats the palate with bags of rich, plush textured fruit, offering layer upon layer of exotic spice and savory flavors, finishing epically long and layered. This is mind-blowingly delicious! (LPB)
(5/2018)
97 points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Bright ruby-red with a hint of garnet at the rim. Knockout deep, nuanced nose of blackcurrant, red cherry, violets and truffle. Supple, broad and full in the mouth, with smoky blackberry, caramel and spicy pepper flavors. The finish is long and silky, with ultrasmooth tannins and a lingering mineral note. This impeccably balanced wine is utterly irresistible already. 'An exceptional wine and one of the best examples of Trotanoy ever,' according to Jean-Claude Berrouet. I couldn't agree more. (ID)
(3/2012)
97 points
Wine Spectator
Very sweet, plummy fruit on the nose, with hints of milk chocolate and spices. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a big, juicy palate. A subtle wine that builds on the palate. It's sort of like a weight-lifting ballerina. Give this big wine time. Really impressive. (JS, Web-2009)
96 points
John Gilman
The 1998 vintage of Trotanoy is one of the legends in the making at this great estate, and all that is needed for this wine is an additional ten to twelve years of bottle age to allow the wine to fully blossom. This is an utterly classical vintage here, offering up a deep, pure and still youthful bouquet of red and black plums, black cherries, gravelly soil tones, cigar wrapper, incipient smokiness and a nice touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with a rock solid core of fruit, fine-grained tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the very, very long, nascently complex and captivating finish. This is clearly an old school vintage of Trotanoy that follows my “thirty year rule” for this property’s greatest wines, and is aging at an even more leisurely pace than I anticipated when I last drank a bottle in 2013 and is consequently, still many years away from truly blossoming. But, it will be utterly profound in the fullness of time.
(1/2018)
93 points
Decanter
The substantial 1998 has peak visceral appeal just now: truffle, cream and Havana leaf whirl together in a heady mix. On the palate, this wine remains dense, forthright, tightly layered and emphatic, with a little more supporting acidity than in the ripest years and a slightly earthier spectrum of flavours. (JA)
(2/2017)
K&L Notes
96+ points Robert Parker in Wine Advocate: "The finest Trotanoy since the 1961, this structured, formidably-endowed, deep ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, super-rich wine exhibits notes of toffee, truffles, and abundant blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit. It cuts a large swath across the palate, and possesses copious but sweet tannin as well as a chewy, muscular mid-palate and finish. This is a compelling effort from one of the great vineyards of Pomerol." (12/2002)
