2020 Chateau Trotte Vieille Saint Emilion Grand Cru

Dating back to 1453, this estate is not just one of the oldest properties in Saint-Émilion; it’s a testament to centuries of winemaking excellence. While most properties were still figuring out the art of vinification, Trotte Vieille had already mastered it, and it’s been quietly producing wines of exceptional quality ever since. This isn’t just a wine; it’s a living, breathing piece of Bordeaux’s history.

The name Trotte Vieille carries a fascinating story. Legend tells of a sharp-witted elderly lady, known for her insatiable curiosity and knack for gathering the latest gossip. As she eagerly greeted stagecoaches arriving from Bordeaux, the villagers affectionately dubbed her “Old Trot,” a name that would come to define one of the region’s most esteemed estates. It’s an endearing, memorable story—much like the wine itself.

In modern times, Château Trotte Vieille has been entrusted to the Casteja family, who bring a wealth of experience from their other Bordeaux estates, including Château Lynch-Moussas and Château Batailley. The estate spans 33 hectares, with vines that are among the oldest in the Right Bank. Some of the vines are over 150 years old, and many are pre-phylloxera, meaning they’ve withstood the test of time and adversity. These ancient vines, combined with a terroir of clay and limestone soils, make this wine a true expression of the land..

For those with a deeper appreciation for rarity, Château Trotte Vieille also produces a stunning wine from its oldest vines—Les Vieilles Vignes du Château Trotte Vieille—a 100% old-vine Cabernet Franc. With only 135 hand-etched bottles produced each year, it’s one of Bordeaux’s most elusive wines. While it’s not available on the market, the 2020 Château Trotte Vieille Saint-Émilion Grand Cru offers a similarly exceptional experience, without the exclusivity price tag.

This wine is a perfect blend of the old and the new—a product of centuries-old vines and the Casteja family’s modern winemaking techniques. Whether you choose to enjoy it now or cellar it for a special occasion, this wine will undoubtedly continue to evolve into something truly extraordinary.

2020 was an exceptional vintage that was awarded 98 points by Vinous Media, who said, “An exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is exceptionally high among the great wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.”

50% Cabernet Franc, 49% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.
See Critical Reviews for detailed tasting notes.

The 2020 Château Trotte Vieille has closed down since I tasted it as a barrel sample in 2021 and needs lots of air, but this is an incredibly gorgeous wine. Its dense purple hue is followed by powerful, inward bouquet of ripe, incredibly pure black and blue fruits, smoky oak, tons of minerality, and a kiss of violets that takes lots of air to shine. The palate is similar in style, with a concentrated, focused, almost austere edge that carries beautiful tannins, awesome extract, flawless overall balance, and a great finish. While it's unquestionably a brilliant wine, it's not for those looking for instant gratification and is much more reserved than the 2019 at this stage. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, and it should have 25 to 30 years of overall longevity. ~98 Jeb Dunnuck

Blackcurrants and blueberries with some chocolate and hazelnut. Bark and mushroom undertones. Salt. Full-bodied with very fine tannins. Very structured. Muscular yet polished. The tannins go on and on. 50% cabernet franc, 49% merlot and 1% cabernet sauvignon. This needs lots of time because of the super tannin structure. Needs five or six years to soften. Try after 2029. ~98 James Suckling

With a serious depth of color, the wine pops from the glass with its array of flowers, black, red and blue fruits, chocolate, licorice, Indian spices and oceanic fragrances. The wine is full-bodied, rich, concentrated and intense, with lusciously-textured layers of perfectly black and red fruits, crushed rocks, chocolate and espresso on the mid-palate that stick with you through to the finish. This is simply stunning from start to finish. With all of its ripe fruits, it will be fabulous in its youth, but it has serious aging potential. Drink from 2025-2050. ~97 The Wine Cellar Insider

~97 The Wine Independent

Intense and brooding, powerful, muscular but finely built, really works with the vintage. It's strong and potent, but so carefully sculpted, plush and ample. At 15% it's alcoholic, but it works, giving ripe fruit, firm but fine tannins and an undercurrent of liquorice supported by freshness. Linear right now, focused and driving from start to finish with the tannins giving the tight frame so it doesn't feel at all massy or too much. Liquorice laden, lots of oak, but super stylish, complex and confident. Extremely impressive.  ~96 Decanter

Always one of the latest to harvest, as this is located directly on the limestone plateau, with 12ha of vines. Intense and focused, showing sculpted blueberry and black cherry fruit, grilled cocoa bean and tar, the tannins close in pretty tightly through the palate, and it needs plenty of time in the glass to reveal the gunsmoke and violet edges. Great ageing potential here, this is living up to En Primeur potential. ~96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2020 Trotte Vieille is fabulous. Rich, inky and explosive, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of jammy dark fruit, espresso, bittersweet chocolate, cloves and incense. Sumptuous and flamboyant to the core, Trotte Vieille has a ton of personality. Big chocolaty tannins frame the sumptuous finish. This has come together very well. ~95 Vinous Media

Out of this world on the nose showing notes of plums, agapanthus, wild violet, cut cedar, lime, crushed stone and a lot of spices. The background is rich in black pepper, juniper berries and cloves. Full bodied, elegant and structured in the tasting showing pleasurable tension and a slightly bitter closure. Better from 2026. ~95 WinesCritic.com

The 2020 Trotte Vieille opens in the glass with aromas of sweet dark berries, violets and licorice framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with impressive depth at the core, it's nicely balanced but a little wrapped up in firm, seemingly barrel-derived tannins. Improvements are underway in the vineyards, but for now, the élevage would appear to be this estate's weak link. ~92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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