Trotanoy 1971

It was Bordeaux’s turn to take a spin around the 1971 vintage with a couple of Pomerols in charge, starting with a magnum of 1971 Trotanoy.  It was much fresher that the bottle the night before, but then I wrote fresher wasn’t the right word.  The other was much more oaky, while this magnum was rich, creamy and coconutty, more classical in every which way.  This was a perfect Trot, with round and tender leathery supplements, along with citrusy ones and a succulent, plummy core (96M).

Tasted in March 2020. Accompagned in same flight by 1964, 1966 and 1975. As spectacular wine as 1964! Same description, little difference in style, very typical wine for this property. 10-15 years more in the cellar for sure.

The 1971 Trotanoy is a wine that I have drunk a dozen times, and this bottle is exactly what I have come to expect. Deep in color, it has a wonderful marine-influenced and saline bouquet, burly and forthright; mint aromas emerge with time. The firm, structured palate is beautifully balanced, with impressive depth and intensity, though in recent years it has begun to lose some of its flesh. Yet there is a sense of harmony, and the effortless, tobacco-tinged finish is delightful. Drink over the next decade, and do check provenance as there is some bottle variation. Tasted at Mere restaurant in London.