2018 Tertre Rôteboeuf

Description

98   Jeb Dunnuck
“The Le Pin of Saint-Emilion, the 2018 Château Tertre Roteboeuf is another exotic, sexy, singular wine from the Mitjavile family, whose vineyard is ideally situated on the eastern side of Saint Emilion. The 2018 isn’t far off the style of the 2016 yet is perhaps even more exotic and up-front, offering a wild nose of white chocolate, black cherries, green tobacco, bacon fat, exotic flowers, and vanilla bean. Brilliantly concentrated on the palate, it has silky, polished tannins, a rather muscular, structured style, thick aromas and flavors, and a great finish. This is another genius effort from François Mitjavile that’s in the same league as the 2005, 2010, and 2016. There’s nothing else out there that comes close to resembling the wines from this estate! It needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more.” (3/11/2021)

95    Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2018 Tertre Rôteboeuf, which I never tasted from barrel, has a typical bouquet of red fruit, dark chocolate, clove and hints of game and mint. Strangely, it reminds me of recent releases from La Rioja Alta, and I mean that in a good way. The palate is sweet on the entry and deftly disguises its 16° alcohol. It is well balanced with fine acidity and touches of sour cherry and tobacco on the finish. A hedonistic wine, but as is so often the case apropos of François Mitjavile’s château, it is brilliantly disguised. 2024 – 2040.” (3/2021)

93-96   Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2018 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is a real powerhouse. Rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses stunning depth and fabulous textural intensity. Dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather, tobacco and cedar add aromatic nuance, but more than anything, Tertre-Rôteboeuf is a wine that captures the heady, ripe personality of the year in spades. Alcohol approaches 16% and yet is not all that evident. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.” (4/2019)