2023 Tronquoy (St-Estephe)

The 2023 Tronquoy has a nicely detailed, quite estuarine bouquet, quintessentially Saint-Estèphe, controlled and quite strict, as you would expect at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannins on the entry, moderate weight, very saline with seaweed, specifically Japanese nori, filtering through the black fruit. Not as long or as decadent as the ’22, but still a very admirable Tronquoy. 93 points

Medium to full intensity ruby plum colour, higher Petit Verdot than usual in the blend, and it comes through in sappy, lively black pepper spice and dark fruit character, good quality, a little austere. In organic conversion, to be certified 2024. Harvest September 6 to 26. 93 points

The 2023 Tronquoy is quite elegant in this vintage. Crushed flowers, mint, dried herbs, tobacco and cedar lend lovely aromatic complexity. There`s more Petit Verdot in this year`s blend, which comes through in the wine`s aromatic presence, and also less Merlot, which is noticeable in the mouthfeel. It`s a style I like a lot—more Saint-Estèphe and less of the rusticity that marked some years. This is a very pretty and promising Tronquoy, not to mention one of the most finessed vintages of this wine I can remember tasting. 90-93 points

Containing an unusually high 51% Cabernet Sauvignon this year (complemented by 38% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot), the 2023 Tronquoy offers up aromas of dark berries, cherries, burning embers and violets, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and refined palate with good depth at the core, lively acids and a persistent finish. Foudres are now complemented barriques for elevage. 91-93 points