Chateau Trotte Vieille 2011

DECANTER: "Seductive nose full of pink flowers, black fruits and cola cubes. Bright and playful, juicy and quite tannic, but not as wide and expansive as some, more delicate if I can say that. Still packs a punch in terms of flavour, but everything is just dialed down a touch. Tannins are smooth and silky, and this feels like a good time to begin to drink this wine. Juicy red berry fruit, fleshy ripe-salty tannins, excellent lift and so many touches of minerality, saltiness and limestone aspects. Relaxed and totally charming. You've got to love the fruit forwardness and the full expression of this, it's not a 'light' non structured wine, but this really delivers on something quite playful and appealing right now."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Dark tannins dominate in this wine that has an austere side. The fruit under this dark structure is full of juicy black fruit flavors. The combination of the powerful texture and the ripe fruit has produced one of the best vintages from this chateau for many years. Drink from 2018."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This shows a very serious concentration of blackberry and mineral character. Full body, silky tannins and a bright finish. Pretty balance. Better after 2017."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, dunkler Kern, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Feines, attraktives frisches schwarzes Waldbeerkonfit, noch etwas verhalten, ein Hauch von Orangenzesten. Mittlere Komplexität, elegante Textur, frische Herzkirschen, noch etwas fordernde Tannine, frisch strukturiert, salziger Nachhall, gutes Reifepotenzial."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur- Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Kompaktes Bouquet, dunkle Pflaumen, Brotkruste, etwas Mokka und dunkle Schokolade. Fleischiger und irgendwie fast cremiger Gaumen, Pflaumenmark, Lakritze, Schwarzschokobitternote. Hat sehr gute Anlagen und kann noch einen Punkt zulegen."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A serious effort, the 2011 Trottevieille boasts an inky/purple color as well as a tannic, masculine style that begs for some bottle age. Impressively concentrated with notes of licorice, black currants and a subtle touch of oak, and a powerful, long finish, this is a noteworthy effort in a challenging vintage. Forget it for 2-3 years and drink it over the following two decades. It is made by consultants Denis Dubourdieu and Gilles Pauquet."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Nicely rendered, with singed sandalwood and dark tea notes running along the edges, while flavors of plum sauce and red currant preserves fill out the core. Lightly briary tannins and a hint of cedar lend a lightly firm edge, but this stays fine-grained overall. Best from 2015 through 2021. 2,000 cases made."