Tronquoy Lalande 2018 900cl

The 2018 Tronquoy-Lalande is powerful and also inviting, with layers of dark-toned fruit that envelop the palate. Blackberry, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, scorched earth and leather all flesh out in the glass. As it was from barrel, Tronquoy is a dark, somber wine. It has enough sheer richness to develop well for another 10-15 years, maybe more. 91-93 NM The 2018 Tronquoy-Lalande was picked from 18 September to 4 October and comprises of approximately 25 batches this year. One can immediate see more intensity and precision on the nose, perfumed blackberry and blueberry fruit with a subtle wet clay, like a pottery classroom, in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, rounded and smooth in texture with a fine line of acidity. Plenty of black fruit here and real volume and length on the finish. This is an excellent Tronquoy-Lalande that might have the misfortune of lying in the shadow of the superlative Montrose. But it is well worth seeking out. -- Neal Martin

Kunz Fassprobe 19: (51% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% vol. Alkohol) Samtenes, cremiges, fruchtiges, süsses Bouquet, Brombeeren, schwarze Kirschen, Lakritze, fein Kandis, Cassiscreme. Kräftiger, aromatischer breiter Gaumen mit kräftiger, dunkler Frucht, feinsandigem Tannin, kräftiger Aromatik, muskulöser Struktur, langer, aromatischer Abgang. Kann noch zulegen.

Racy and vibrant, with a pure beam of violet, cassis and damson plum notes streaming through. A sleek finish keeps the elements nicely focused, while pebbly tannins linger. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. — JM