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One of the superstars of the vintage, the 2008 Trotanoy is a wine that transcends the vintage. Typically, this is not one of the more lush, sexy wines of Pomerol, but rather a muscular, masculine effort, and that’s the case in 2008. A deep purple color is followed by copious amounts of red and black fruit, earth, cedar and forest floor notes. The wine reveals a full-bodied texture, phenomenal concentration for a 2008, plenty of sweet tannin and a terrific finish. While it was surprisingly approachable, it will benefit from several years of cellaring and last 20-25 years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 96 RP(Château Trotanoy) The 2008 Trotanoy is certainly one of the riper examples of the vintage that I have come across, as it reached a full fourteen percent in alcohol in this year, but the long, slow growing season has allowed the sugars to mount slowly and the precision of the terroir in this wine has remained truly remarkable. In several respects, I prefer the cooler and refined profile of the 2008 Trotanoy to the bigger and more powerful iterations of this great estate in 2009 and 2010. The bouquet on the wine is deep, very pure and impressively discreet, as it offers up scents of red plums, black cherries, Cuban cigars, coffee, beautiful minerality, herb tones and a fine base of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full, pure and chiseled, with a fine core, superb focus, ripe, moderate tannins, good acids and outstanding length and grip on the nascently complex and very intensely flavored finish. A beautiful and utterly classic vintage of Trotanoy that reminds me a bit of the 1975 in terms of precision and purity. It will be very interesting to see how this ranks in comparison to the more powerful wines of 2009 and 2010 at this estate when time has had its say, thirty or forty years down the road. (Drink between 2020-2075).John Gilman | 95+ JGThis is very muscular for the vintage, with blueberries, minerals, flowers and stones. Full bodied and powerful with beautiful rich tannins and a long, long finish. So much going on. Let it go for five or six years.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2008 Trotanoy is a ferociously backward Pomerol that did not engage at Farr’s horizontal. Another bottle served over lunch that had undergone a long decanting was far more representative. It has a gorgeous bouquet with raspberry and menthol, a little dark chocolate and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with ample freshness and vigor although it clearly demands a long aeration to really click into fifth gear. This is a multi-dimensional Trotanoy that probably needs another couple of years in bottle. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 94+ VMAn impressive wine, showing its power and concentration in a structure integrated with chocolate, bitter coffee and spice. Black plum notes add a juicy character to this powerful wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is a more powerful expression of Pomerol, with black tea and tar notes framing the core of blackberry and plum fruit. Loam, roasted tobacco leaf and braised cèpe notes fill in on the finish. This should be fun to age. Best from 2013 through 2020. 1,875 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

(Château La Conseillante, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) This has always been one of my favourite vintages of La Conseillante. Here a little Cabernet Franc (11%) goes a long way. Ethereal and utterly beautiful on the nose. Soft, delicate, elegant and subtle. Intensely floral, with violets and little hedgerow spring flowers, freshly cut. Has an exquisite balance and harmony, even if it might be said to lack some of the density of ostensibly greater vintages. I can live happily with that; though I’d drink this sooner. Very attractive and the very essence of plateau Pomerol for me. Soft and seductive, with those little truffle notes, blueberries and raspberries; tender and lithe, nicely compact and juicy on the finish. (Drink between 2022-2040)Decanter | 96 DECAn absolutely amazing wine from the Nicolas family, this is from another estate in Pomerol that is pushing the envelope to higher and higher quality. The final blend has moved to smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, now approximately 20%, with the balance 80% Merlot. Through crop-thinning, yields have been reduced to an average of 35 hectoliters per hectare. Inky bluish/purple color and stunning sweet tannins embrace a full-bodied opulent Pomerol with beautiful, floral-infused black raspberry, blueberry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied, yet elegant, this is a brilliant marriage between finesse and power. Stunningly pure, this wine can be drunk young or age magnificently for 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 96 RPAnother classic wine from this fabulous estate is the 2012 La Conseillante, which I believe was the first wine made in their newly constructed winery. A blend of roughly 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new barrels, it offers an awesome bouquet of blueberry and smoky black cherry fruit intermixed with loads of Asian spices, melted asphalt, truffle, and licorice. This full-bodied, opulent, incredibly sexy Pomerol stays light and elegant, with silky tannin and sensational purity of fruit. Anyone who owns bottles should count themselves lucky, and those who don’t should buy some as soon as possible. It can be drunk today or cellared for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD(Château La Conseillante) The new chais at Château La Conseillante has now been completed and it is a beautiful new addition to this property. Up above the chais are a pair of large, glass-enclosed tasting rooms that offer a beautiful view of surrounding Pomerol and the graves section of St. Émilion (with Cheval Blanc right across the stretch of vineyards that unfold below your feet). The new chais has clearly not gone to waste, as the team at La Conseillante has fashioned a brilliant utterly classic example of the 2012 vintage, offering up a pure and complex nose of black raspberries, black cherries, Cuban cigars, gravel, fresh herb tones, violets and a stylish base of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with excellent focus and balance, very fine-grained tannins and outstanding grip and nascent complexity on the very long, velvety finish. This wine reminds me quite a bit of the young 1985 La Conseillante- which is a vintage here that I adore and prefer to the more highly-praised 1982, 1989 and 1990 vintages at this great estate. A stunning wine in the making and clearly one of the greatest wines of the 2012 vintage. (Drink between 2023-2065).John Gilman | 94+ JGAmazing aromas of dried flowers, blueberries and minerals follow through to a full body, fine and polished tannins and a long finish. All in finesse and harmony. Little tight now. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2012 La Conseillante takes some time to settle in the glass, gaining harmony after 10 minutes with scents of red cherry, sandalwood, freshly rolled tobacco and clove. This comes across as showier, more extravagant than other 2012 Pomerols. The palate is medium-bodied with silky smooth tannins, harmonious and poised, spicy and perhaps with a little more edge towards the finish. There is a sense of confidence about this La Conseillante. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index’s Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.Vinous Media | 93+ VMOn the robust side of Pomerol for now, with ganache and tar notes underscoring the core of dark plum, linzer torte, blackberry and black currant fruit. The elements meld nicely through fleshy, cocoa-accented finish, where a lingering iron accent emerges alongside ample yet silky tannins. Shows impressive depth, suggesting that elegance will come from cellaring. Best from 2017 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A seriously impressive Petrus in 2020. Less hedonistic and instantly emotional than 2019, more sultry, almost shy and reserved but with definition, weight, succulence and suppleness that shines through. It has a silky tannic tension and clear power but not heft, only a soft muscular expansion that comes with a grip and chew to the black fruits with medicinal, liquorice edges and mouthwatering acidity. Understated yet utterly captivating, it takes its time to come out of its shell - a little serious right now but at the same time it’s stylish with a bright, lifted finish reminding you of the juicy freshness that’s possible even in such warm vintages. A shining star that will be magnificent in time.Decanter | 100 DECAs I observed to Olivier Berrouet, it’s hardly very original to find a wine critic extolling the virtues of this Pomerol reference point; and yet, whether one likes it or not, there’s no denying that the 2020 Pétrus is a brilliant achievement and indeed one of the very finest vintages at this address over the last two decades. Unwinding in the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of exotic spices, violets and vine smoke, it’s full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with huge depth at the core, exquisitely refined tannins and a youthfully reserved, even restrained profile despite its power and size. This serious, classically proportioned Pétrus is a monument in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe transparency and complexity in the nose is wonderful, with so much floral character like violets and roses with some fresh spices. Dark berries, too. Sandalwood. It’s medium-bodied but then it just opens and unfolds with incredible depth of fine tannins and great length. It goes on for minutes. It opens like butterfly wings. What a wine. Superb. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2020 Pétrus is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Silky, creamy tannins wrap around a core of dark red and black fruit. A wine with explosive depth but no hard edges and mind-blowing balance, the 2020 is so alluring, even in the early going. Time in the glass brings out lifted floral top notes that add freshness. What strikes most is the elegance of the tannins. I don’t think I have ever tasted a young Pétrus like the 2020. Technical Director Olivier Berrouet gave the 2020 a bit more time on the skins than is normal. Aging was 17-18 months in oak. Let’s cut to the chase. The 2020 Pétrus is profoundly great.Vinous Media | 99 VMWonderfully aromatic, this wine offers ripe tannins that give the appearance of softness. That’s deceptive because the wine’s structure is massive and concentrated. Velvet black fruits are embedded in the texture, superripe without losing freshness. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEDelivers a fairly gorgeous beam of ripe, lush, unadulterated raspberry fruit flecked with light anise, apple wood and sweet tobacco hints along the way, but this is driven from start to finish primarily by the fruit. Showing a subtle mineral edge that adds detail on the finish, this has impressive poise for the vintage. Finishes with a burnish leather feel rather than succulence, but that’s the vintage’s fault in the end. Best from 2026 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 96 WS