Chateau Tronquoy, St Estephe

Description

Chateau Tronquoy is an historic wine estate located in the heart of the St Estephe appellation of Bordeaux’s Left Bank.. It was previously known as Chateau Tronquoy-Lalande but dropped the “Lalande” from the 2019 vintage onwards.

Chateau Tronquoy can trace its origins back to the 18th Century. The estate is named after the founder of the estate, François Tronquoy, and the place-name La Lande, meaning the heath, on which the Château’s historic vineyard is planted.  The most recent owners, Martin and Olivier Bouygues. acquired the estate in 2006. They also own the illustrious, neighbouring estate Chateau Montrose, which they also acquired in 2006. Under their ownership, significant investments were made to improve the vineyards and winemaking facilities which culminated in 2010 with the construction of a vast barrel hall and a new vat house equipped with a vertical press and 22 temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. As well as the Grand Vin a second wine called La Dame de Tronquoy-Lalande is also produced. Hervé Berland, formerly Managing Director at Ch. Mouton Rothschild, oversees all the estates.

The estate spans approximately 30 hectares (74 acres) of vineyards. The estate is planted with 52% Merlot which is unusual in a region where most estate’s are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The rest of the vineyards are planted with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.  The terroir of Saint-Estèphe is known for its gravelly soils, which contribute to the elegance and structure of the wines produced in the region.  An 8 metre deep layer of gravel and clay ensures good drainage, while the clay retains water at depth which the vines can tap into as necessary.

The individual plots of wine for Chateau Tronquoy are vinified individually. Usually the wine is wine is aged in French oak barrels, 25% new,  for an average of 12 months before bottling. The 2019 is a blend of 50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot.