Château Trotanoy

Pomerol Merlot built for the long cellar — Cabernet Franc adds the spine.

Trotanoy's grand vin is Merlot-led with a meaningful share of Cabernet Franc — denser than most of Pomerol and slower to open. The portfolio is small and disciplined: the Pomerol grand vin plus Espérance de Trotanoy as the second wine. Five prestige critics rate the wines most years; Wine Advocate has paid 97 on the 2010 and 99 on the 2018, with Falstaff at 97 on the 2015. Serious vintages keep climbing in critic scores decades after release, so the upper-tier bottles reward patience.