Château Trotte Vieille 2009

This has a classical nose of chocolate and mint, with a characteristic touch of varnish: old lacquer on a Japanese screen. It mellows into something evolving, with fabric sticking plasters, blood orange peel, and juniper. In the mouth, the intense, powerful dark fruit fades away onto a thinner, shorter finish than expected. This wine lacks the complexity on the palate that it possesses on the nose. High acidity stops it from being heavy or hot, but thins it out a little and seems imperfectly integrated.