Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2007

Tasted blind at the Farr Vintners 2007 Bordeaux tasting. The 2007 Le Tertre-Rôteboeuf has an irresistible bouquet with plush red and black fruit, crème de cassis and vanilla pod, almost Burgundian in style and billowing with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and plush with dark plum, macerated red cherries and strawberry. But this is all about that velvety texture and the weight and concentration on the finish. Surely this is Tertre-Rôteboeuf? It is! Perhaps the most delicious wine of the vintage. Tasted March 2015.

One of the top wines from the Right Bank in most years, and 2007 is no exception. Finesse in style, there is a freshness to the black raspberry-tinted fruits, with added nuances of cherry blossoms, wet earth, and hints of thyme. Softly textured, with silky, soft, polished red fruits on the finish, the wine was produced from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

Dense, dark purple. Nutty mocha bouquet, cocoa, pralines, very warm, showing more of that dark sweetness than primary fruit aromas. On the palate, full-bodied, creamy, dark caramel, refined black tea, again plenty of chocolate-like notes, velvety tannins, a finish with Perudge plum tones. A brilliant Tertre-Rôteboeuf with tremendous charm, volume, and breed.

Dense, dark purple. Nutty mocha bouquet, cocoa, pralines, very warm, showing more of that dark sweetness than primary fruit aromas. On the palate, full-bodied, creamy, dark caramel, noble black tea, again many chocolaty notes, velvety tannins, with a finish of fudge and plum tones. A brilliant Tertre-Rôteboeuf with enormous charm, volume and also breed. 09: A few months before bottling. Still plenty of mocha and dark chocolate, lots of cassis and blackberries, regal. Juicy palate, fine tannins, lovely creaminess in the extract, a dreamy finish. A delicacy with a modern feel.

This stands out from other 2007s (which I love right now for their grace and drinkability) because it still has youthful, concentrated juicy black fruits. Definitely one to look out for, a standout of the vertical; it’s a cooler vintage, so it’s full of floral and truffle aromatics that curl out of the glass, poised on the edge between primary and tertiary, combining freshness and spice with blueberry and damson fruit. The campfire character that is such a signature of Tertre Roteboeuf comes from the terroir and the south-facing vines, as well as the new oak used for ageing, and here they merge with fine tannins and a slow-building exuberance to great effect. 100% new oak.

Perhaps the most beautiful texture of the vintage in Saint-Émilion, but the substance is equally impressive: Tertre Roteboeuf has always managed to reach another level in the "smaller" vintages. This 2007 will be one for the books!