Tertre Roteboeuf 2017

The 2017 Tertre-Rôteboeuf was picked towards the end of September (François Mitjavile said he was getting too old to remember!) The bouquet is a real doppelgänger for a Burgundy, perhaps something from Morey-Saint-Denis. It is certainly very pure, not as flamboyant as the previous two vintages but intense and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grainy tannin. I love the salinity of this 2017...you can feel the mouth tingling long after the wine has departed. The acidity is very well judged, the oak seamlessly integrated and barely perceptible, a feat that I do not think any other Saint-Émilion achieves to the same degree as here. There are notes of sea salt and black pepper towards the finish, just a hint of tobacco. Both delicious and cerebral, this is a Tertre-Rôteboeuf that will benefit from four or five years in bottle. Drink 2023-2036.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Le Tertre Roteboeuf offers up gorgeous wild blueberries, crushed blackcurrants and redcurrants notes with touches of lavender, violets, Sichuan pepper and cloves plus a waft of anise. The medium to full-bodied palate is very firm with ripe, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness and depth, finishing very long with some exotic spices coming through.

The 2017 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is fabulous. Rich, deep and super-concentrated, the 2017 exudes intensity in all of its dimensions. A huge core of dark fruit, chocolate, leather, licorice and menthol all build as this unctuous, flamboyant wine shows off its pedigree. Beautifully resonant and explosive, the 2017 is a wine of total class.

As on the other wines from the Mitjavile family that are aged in 100% new Radoux Blend barrels, in this vintage the oak and a charry character seem more noticeable than usual, though here it is offset by the pretty red fruit that is waiting in the wings: succulent, sweet dark-red and plum fruit. Juicy and fresh but does need to see the oak recede. The tannins are deep yet many-layered and fine. Rich and long.
Drink 2025-2040

An incredible, fragrant nose here of truffles, morello cherries, cassis and summer pudding. The palate has a kaleidoscopic array of flavours, with fresh leather, truffles, succulent forest fruits, and even a little roasted game. The texture is thick and rich, but the ultra-fine, ripe tannins mean that this is more of an undercoat to the unctuous and generous fruit. This expands on the finish, with fresh acidity providing just the right lift to the sweet and exotic spices and fruits, restoring focus and precision. A magnificent wine in 2017, and a true highlight of the vintage.

The nose has a fragrant charm with mainly red fruits the start of the palate light. It fills out in the middle the fruit sweet layers of black and red fruits supported by fine tannins. Lighter at the back the finish is long fragrant stylish. 2026-39

Dynamic, graceful and refreshing, this is a stellar vintage for Tertre Roteboeuf on account of the unique vintage conditions. It is so packed with flavour and yet this is a fabulously tender and musical wine. It is very rare to find this balance – a cold summer, but which also has perfect ripening has resulted in a rich and hedonistic wine but with a core of coolness and vivacity. A wine that is full of anomalous traits, this is a spectacular experience because there is so much going on, constantly twisting and turning around a core of exquisite freshness. I could still taste it an hour later.