Chateau Trotte Vieille 2000
- Vintage
- 2000
- Country
- France
- Region
- Bordeaux,St Emilion, Bordeaux
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
- Rating
- WA89,ST89
This has a ripe, succulent feel, with friendly plum cake and blackberry paste flavors forming the core, backed by judicious singed vanilla and cocoa notes. A subtle licorice root hint gives the finish a twinge, though this is open and ready to go overall.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. - WS90
Somewhat closed and monolithic, this deep plum/ruby/purple-colored wine has notes of blackberry, chocolate, espresso, and vanilla in the tight but emerging aromatics. It is medium-bodied, elegant, pure, but may not quite have the depth, sweetness, and overall volume of the 2001. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2019. - WA89
Château Trotte Vieille is an estate in Saint-Émilion that dates back to 1453. The estate has belonged to the Borie-Manoux négociant business since 1949, and in 1955 it was rated as Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the official classification of Saint-Émilion wines.
The origins of the château's name lie in the 14th Century. Legend has it that a little old lady would walk, or trot, down to the crossing where passing stagecoaches from Bordeaux would make a stop. She would hassle travellers for any news from the city, and the people of Saint-Émilion nicknamed her la trotte vieille, or "the old trot".
Viticulture at Château Trotte Vieille was first officially recorded in a document dating from 1453, making Trotte Vieille one of the oldest in the appellation. Indeed, some of the vines in the 10-hectare (25-acre) walled vineyard are more than 140 years old. The dominant grape variety is Merlot, closely followed by Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. These vines are planted in red clay soils overlying limestone.
Château Trotte Vieille's grand vin is Merlot-predominant, as is the second wine, La Vieille Dame de Trotte Vieille. Harvest is done by hand and the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled concrete vats. This fermentation lasts approximately 15-20 days in the case of the grand vin, after which the wine is then aged in oak barrels for 12-18 months.
Borie-Manoux also owns two other properties in Bordeaux: Château Batailley in Pauillac and Château Beau-Site in Saint-Estèphe.