The Auswine Forum

TN: 82 Trotanoy vs 82 Certan de May at Grange Restaurant (Adelaide)

Both from my cellar and stored at 14 degrees Celsius since release. The grand finale to my recent 7 day South Australian wine region tour (Coonawarra, Barossa, Fleurieu Peninsula, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley).

<b>1982 Château Trotanoy</b>
My original note on the very great 82 Trotanoy remains intact. Addendum: Sommelier oohed and aahed, unleashing the comment – “this wine kills the 85 Trotanoy I had recently which was brilliant”. Chocky: “Still the best wine I have ever drank”. This is the drink now and over next 5-10 years wine. Interested to see Parker progressively downgrading this wine over last 10 years. 97 in 1st edition of “Bordeaux”, 95 in 3rd and now 92 in 4th edition. I don’t think it has changed much at all during the last decade. Interestingly, the Certan was clearly the superior wine on opening; after 4 hours they were neck and neck and almost impossible to separate. If one wants to understand balance and structure in wine, this is the quintessential wine.
<b>Grand Vin! 19.4/20</b>

<b>1982 Château Certan-de-May</b>
Deeper colour than Trotanoy with higher toned nose. Darker fruits and more oak. Not as feminine or beguiling as the Trotanoy. On the palate, very voluptuous and extracted still after 20 years. More tannin but masses of oodling black fruits and hints of secondary development. Clearly the more youthful of the two wines initially. Just as well balanced too. Everything in its right place and, again, a truly magnificent wine. Needs a few more years but will seemingly last for many years. Preferred this both blind and unmasked for first hour. Sommelier and Chocky preferred the Trotanoy. After 4 hours, impossible to differentiate. And who cares – we were all in heaven! Drink the Trotanoy while this one sleeps further.
<b>Grand Vin! 19.5/20</b>

<b>FYI – Chef Cheong Liew’s “Food From My Heart” 8-course degustation menu at the Grange restaurant (Adelaide) – equally superb.</b>

Four Dances of the Sea signature dish – Soused snook, raw calamari with black-ink noodles, octopus aioli, spiced prawn sushi

Abalone, yabbies, and drunken chicken jelly salad, with tomato chili dressing

Bouillabaisse custard in saffron fish consommé, fried Angasi oyster, silver fish and fennel puree

Roasted Trumpeter, zucchini and pumpkin spaghetti, nostrano salami, smoked roe paste

Orange and thyme pheasant breast, leg sausage, confit of quince with sherry jus

Spiced Wagyu beef, anchovy salsa, stuffed mushrooms and baby vegetables

Taleggio, petit livarot cheese with pear, quince picked and walnut salad

Rhubarb crumble in pastry cup with ginger lime sauce and vanilla ice-cream

Well this just makes me (wistfully!) pine for another bottle of the Trotanoy

With your two notes, and looking back on my own
http://www.auswine.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8461
I'm brought to wonder whether the 1982 Petrus would meet my expactation as the Pomerol of the vintage. Can an exceptionally fortunate, Petrus experienced forumite shed some light?

Agree on the 82 Certan de May - had never heard of it when I had it a few years ago - fantabulous.

The 82 Trotanoy had great publicity at the time of its release here as a mini Petrus.


regards
Chris

Jakob wrote:Well this just makes me (wistfully!) pine for another bottle of the Trotanoy

I'm brought to wonder whether the 1982 Petrus would meet my expactation as the Pomerol of the vintage. Can an exceptionally fortunate, Petrus experienced forumite shed some light?

Danny you are a lucky bastard indeed! Tears of envy and wistful memory.

Jakob,

I have had the 1982 Petrus many years ago at a dinner of Parker's Top 16 Bordeaux of the 1982 vintage put on by Negociant's Ian Bird, then an independent retailer:( Winespot, Ferntree Gully).

I remember the 1982 Petrus as a rich, exotic, opulent, silky wine redolent of being half way between the sensuous lyricism of great Burgundy and the august majesty of great claret. It was not an intellectual wine. It was a curio; an ethereal Bordeaux unlike its more earth bound peers. It was the standout Pomerol. It would be churlish to give it less than 20 (or 100).

It was in a category, but not a class of its own.

The 1982 Las Cases and the 1982 Margaux also stood out whilst the dark, turbulent power of the 1982 Mouton was equally impressive.

Ah memories...

Neville K

Thanks Neville, the Petrus sounds magnificent. I had hoped to strike it off my 'must drink instead of buying a small pacific island and/or before dying' list, but I suppose it stays on there then

And dont forget guys the 82 L'Evangile is supposed to be a cracker too!