Chateau Trotanoy, Pomerol 2010

As expected, the 2010 Château Trotanoy is a dense, powerful, masculine Pomerol in the vintage that does everything right. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, as well as a smorgasbord-like array of black cherries, currants, iron, graphite, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and sensational length. It still has plenty of tannins lurking under the fruit, yet everything is just perfectly balanced, giving this an incredible seamlessness on the palate that makes it so compelling. Absolutely riveting stuff, it has another 30 years of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink 2025-2055.

Stunning nose with wild strawberries, vanilla and raspberries. Opens up with a little time in the glass to sweet licorice, blueberries and some graphite. Round and full on the palate with an amazing fruit and refined tannins. Truly superb. Hard not to drink now. Try from 2016.

Vivid and full of clarity on the aromatics, this is a delicious wine with phenomenal black truffle, liquorice, cigar box and cocoa bean woven through the concentrated cassis fruits and fresh mint leaf. 50% new oak for ageing.

Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Trotanoy has a nose of prunes, dried mulberries and baked black cherries with hints of cigar box and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a good amount of muscular fruit with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness to carry the earthy flavors to a long finish.

Good full red. Great depth and complexity to the aromas of raspberry, strawberry, baked bread, tobacco and black olive. Plush, sweet and remarkably mouthfilling, conveying a compelling creaminess of texture but also a magically light touch and outstanding finesse. The thick flavors of red fruits, cocoa powder, meat and forest floor are perfectly supported by very smooth but serious tannins. Finishes with great persistence. A real essence of Pomerol: one of the sexiest wines of my tastings this spring but it's hard to believe that this wine won't go through a sullen stage in the bottle.

Good, full ruby. Complex but reticent aromas of strawberry, red cherry liqueur, violet, leather and black pepper. Dense, spherical and opulent, with a spectacularly silky texture to the middle palate and brooding flavors similar to the aromas. This massive Pomerol finishes with sophisticated sweet tannins and outstanding palate-saturating length. A great Trotanoy: my score may actually be too low. Drink from 2022 through 2050.