Château Tronquoy, St Estèphe, 2022
A return to the EP market and a cobalt rebranding to simply “Tronquoy” (dropping the Lalande). As we've been saying for several years, this St Estephe property owned by the Bouygues family and run by the team at Montrose is making superb wines, and for the time being, they still offer excellent value for money. The 2022 is a blue-blooded offering with a distinctly Cabernet character. Ripe and aromatic, this is packed with dark, rich and enveloping fruit, framed by ripe, well-judged tannins. A very attractive wine, which will give lots of mid-term drinking pleasure. 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.
critic reviews
The 2022 Tronquoy has a complex bouquet that unfolds in the glass, with blackberry, cedar and tobacco scents, one of the most classical styles in this flight. It builds in power. The palate has exquisite balance, a kind of symmetry that reminds me of Montrose. Perfectly judged acidity, this is so precise on the finish and contains the sapidity to draw you back for more. I already knew this was a strong Saint-Estèphe but here it really shows the opposition what it is capable of. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
Gorgeous aromatics, silky tannins, great waves of cocoa bean and plum puree, slow burn on the opening, then the fruit slowly expands throughout the mid palate, strong floral quality on the nose, peony and iris, this is a good vintage of Tronquoy, modern, hard to argue with. Clear tannic grip, give it a few years in bottle.
The 2022 Tronquoy-Lalande, made from 59% Cabernet Sauvignon (usually the blend is mainly Merlot), 35% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notions of warm cassis, black cherry preserves, and wild blueberries leap from the glass, plus hints of cinnamon toast, allspice, and vanilla pod with a waft of dark chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is plush and plump with juicy black fruits, lifted by just enough acidity, finishing long and spicy.