Château TrotteVieille
Château TrotteVieille
AboutChâteau TrotteVieille
Château TrotteVieille appears in a fifteenth-century lease. Its memorable name is explained by a local legend about an inquisitive elderly woman who hurried to the nearby post house for the latest news. Marcel Borie acquired the property in 1947, and the Castéja family continues to run it. Philippe Castéja took charge in the 1990s; four hectares from Château Bergat were incorporated in 2012.
Across the twelve-hectare southwest-facing slope, shallow clay over limestone carries roughly 49 percent Merlot, 46 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. A parcel of Cabernet Franc planted in 1868 survives from before phylloxera. The estate was classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion in 1955. Wines from individual plots are fermented separately, and the principal wine spends eighteen to twenty-four months in new French oak.
Château TrotteVieille 2005 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
French Red
Black cherry, plum and blackcurrant lead a complex, mineral profile, joined by liquorice, earth and truffle. The palate is medium to full in body, with fine tannins and fresh acidity keeping the fruit precise. Cedar, tea leaf and a measured chocolate note add savoury depth. The finish is long and layered, returning to plum, herbs and limestone-like mineral tension.