Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2021

Ripe-fruited, with great aromatic complexity; strawberry, plum, spices, dark chocolate. On the palate, concentrated and forceful yet fresh, lots of tannins, great length.

Never one to shy away from risks, proprietor François Mitjaville opted to encourage the vintage’s inherently more evolved style to arrive at its logical conclusion, so he kept his chai at a rather warm 17 degrees Celsius throughout the year. The result is a rather wild, carnal 2021 Le Tertre Roteboeuf that mingles the estate’s signatures of rich dark fruits, espresso roast and exotic spices with more savory suggestions of saddle leather and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, broad and layered, with supple tannins and the evident ripeness that Mitjaville manages to attain, whatever the vintage, it concludes with a long, meaty finish. I tend to love Tertre Roteboeuf in cooler, more challenging vintages, but the 2021’s more animal side disconcerts me.

The 2021 Tertre-Rôteboeuf has gained some intensity since tasting it from barrel. Well-defined black cherries, iodine, violet and light graphite notes emanate from the 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is medium-bodied with a svelte opening, very harmonious with fine depth. Again, as I wrote out of barrel, it is a “gourmand” Saint-Émilion with a nicely structured, slightly savory finish. Excellent.

Flowers, spice, crushed stone, savory red fruit, raspberries, five spice, cinnamon, cherries, and peppery spices create one of the most compelling noses of the vintage. On the palate, the wine is earthy, lush, round, and remains in a spicy register from the mid-palate through the finish. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV; the harvest took place October 5–15. Drink from 2024–2045. 93–95

Medium ruby and based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, brought up in new barrels, the 2021 Château Tertre Rôteboeuf has a beautiful perfume of mostly red fruits (redcurrants, framboise) as well as smoked tobacco, leather, spice, and white chocolate nuances. It's medium-bodied, has a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. This is a wine that offers pleasure today yet will nevertheless evolve gracefully on its overall balance, elegance, and charm.

The brilliant Tertre Rôteboeuf 2021 is, even after bottling, an impressive wine with a deep, dark color. Dense, sweet and intense, it shows a very broad aromatic range on the nose and is clearly more terroir-driven than usual. A touch of the lavish, warm generosity of hotter vintages is missing, which makes its true core character shine all the more. It has great structure with very fine-grained tannins whose expansive frame conveys the outstanding limestone terroir in all its all-encompassing complexity. For now it is still working through the rich oak (100% new), while the finely ripe fruit remains in the background. Many tertiary aromas emerge on the finish, surrounded by red fruits and widely evolved spice notes—full-bodied and generous. It offers a highly layered interplay of great terroir, the finest ripeness and delicate fruit presence across many stages of maturity, from fresh and crunchy to gently confit. 14.0% vol. A truly impressive Tertre Rôteboeuf!

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc) Concentrated, dense, creamy, complex, fresh bouquet, damson plums, dried fruits, herbal candy, dried meat, mint. Creamy, dense, multi-layered, delicately opulent palate with a velvety, tightly knit structure, plenty of fine tannins, powerful sweet fruit, concentrated, varied, sweet aromatics, very long, powerful, fresh, creamy finish with plenty of lingering aromas.

(80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc) Concentrated, dense, creamy, complex, fresh bouquet; damson plums, dried fruit, herbal candy, cured meat, mint. Creamy, dense, multi-layered palate with delicate opulence, a velvety, tightly woven structure, plenty of fine tannins, powerful sweet fruit, concentrated, varied, sweet aromatics, and a very long, powerful, fresh, creamy finish with many lingering flavors. 19/20 2028 - 2050

One of my best-scoring wines En Primeur, and absolutely delivering now in bottle. Juicy damson and cassis fruits, drawn-out tannins that are fine but with grip, orange peel, blueberry, cassis, smoked earth, cloves and liquorice bud. Grilled cedar swirls through the palate, adding sweetness but well matched by the fruit, and this has layers of flavour, with the acidity of the vintage turned into sappy lift. Grapes destemmed but not crushed, 16% press wine, 100% new oak and 100% first wine, as ever.

Lovely, indulgent nose, aromatic, with depth and notes of spice/pepper. It shows crushed strawberry, Madagascar pepper and, more subtly, roasted cherry, with touches of fleshy/juicy red plum, almost hints of rosemary, lily, and a subtle touch of spice. The palate is nicely fresh, mineral and balanced, offering a zesty backbone, precision, tension, and a very discreet, pleasant bitterness. A lovely wine flirting with roasted-juicy character, showcasing beautiful fruit brightness. On the palate, it delivers notes of juicy-roasted strawberry, bright blackberry and, more lightly, fresh/pulpy purple plum, with touches of pulpy cherry and fine hints of mocha, roast, toast, nutmeg, and a subtle sense of place (local biotope). A delicious, complete wine, all about balance and brightness. The tannins are elegant, supple and racy. Lovely length.