1947 Château Trotanoy

Tasted at the Trotanoy dinner at Sketch in London. Bottled by the negociant company "A. Barsac," this 1947 Trotanoy is something to behold. The nose is fresher than the very few 1947 Right Bank wines that I have tasted, exhibiting an almost crystalline purity and delineation. There is an element of volatile acidity present, although not as much as I might have expected—traces of peppermint and molasses evolving with time. The palate is very well balanced with what you might call "degraded opulence." It must have been a decadent wine in its youth, but now it has been abraded by time and there is a nub of sweetness remaining. Yet the complexity is extant, hints of gingerbread infusing the red fruit, traces of maraschino cherries and quince, whilst there remains a little viscosity on the finish. There is a sense of encountering a wine that must have been truly scintillating in its prime, but still there is something wondrous within. Tasted September 2012.