2012 - Trotte Vieille, Saint-Emilion

The 2012 Trotte Vieille is medium to deep garnet colored. Notes of dried roses, kirsch, and blackberry preserves leap from the glass followed by hints of smoked meats and licorice. The medium-bodied palate delivers ripe, rounded tannins, with a lively backbone to lift the perfumed fruit to a long finish.

The 2012 Trotte Vieille has an attractive bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, cedar and light liquorice aromas that blossom in the glass. This has better delineation than its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip and a fine bead of acidity. A little granular in texture, this feels focused and overtly spicy with a generous sprinkling of black pepper on the finish. I would happily drink this now, but it should keep for another decade. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

A strong effort from proprietor Philippe Castéja, the 2012 Trottevieille has an inky, opaque purple color with plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, licorice, earth and subtle background oak. It is medium to full-bodied, with excellent texture, long persistence on the palate and impressive purity. All are impressive and evidence of a very top effort from this property that always seems to be capable of producing even greater wine than it actually does. No one is going to be disappointed in the 2012. It has an anticipated maturity of 2020-2035.

Tasted blind. Still deep crimson. Lots of evolution on the nose. Round and classic mature St-Émilion without exaggeration, though without a very long future. Decent balance and finish though. (JR)