Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2016

The 2016 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is flat-out stunning and also one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2016 possesses remarkable depth and intensity from the very first taste. The 2016 is exotic, full-throttle and unapologetically hedonistic. At times, Tertre-Rôteboeuf can be a bit rough around the edges, but the 2016 is totally sublime. In a world in which so many wines are copycats, Tertre-Rôteboeuf is an original. And the 2016 is a great, emotionally moving Tertre-Rôteboeuf. This is a magnificent effort from François and Nina Mitjavile. Don't miss it!

Loaded with sweet, black raspberries, flowers, herbs, spice, truffle, licorice and cherry on the nose, the wine is equally as enthralling on the palate. Sensuous, silky, vibrant and spicy, the purity in the melange of plums and cherry, paired with vanilla, spearmint, licorice and earth is on the mid palate and in the long finish, which clocks in at more than 50 seconds. The wine was produced from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

Intense perfume, very decadent, floral, with layers of chocolate-coated dark fruit, violet, patisserie, some roasted new oak, smoke and a bold spiciness. Very dense and concentrated palate with sweet and grainy tannins, still present but integrated oak with fine toast, and an incredibly long and meaty finish with complexity and persistence.

Even better, the magical 2016 Le Tertre Rôteboeuf is another heavenly wine from François Mitjavile that flirts with perfection. A normal blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc brought up in new oak, its deep purple color is followed by a huge nose of sweet cassis, caramelized blackcurrants, toasted bread, espresso, and smoked herbs. Full-bodied, deep, and powerful, it just dances on the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness, has remarkable purity of fruit, and is perfectly balanced. It should be drinkable in 4-5 years and will cruise in cold cellars for 2-3 decades. Bravo!

80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Purple garnet. Concentrated black-fruit nose with smoky notes from barrel ageing, hazelnut and Sichuan pepper, followed by hints of tar and Earl Grey. On the palate, elegant with a silky texture. Impresses with its delicate elegance and tremendous depth. Long finish with morello cherry and elderberry essence. A magnificent Tertre-Rôteboeuf with tremendous potential!

Kunz barrel sample 17: A concentrated, complex, sweet, creamy bouquet—black cherries, Damassine plums, pralines, tobacco, raisins, vanilla cream, mint, herbs. A tightly knit, multi-layered, elegant palate with velvety fruit, a finely creamy, well-muscled structure, opulent sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, and a very long, fresh finish with many sweet after-flavors.

Concentrated, complex, sweet, creamy bouquet: black cherries, Damassine plums, pralines, tobacco, raisins, vanilla cream, mint, herbs. Densely knit, multi-layered, elegant palate with velvety fruit, a finely creamy, well-muscled structure, opulent, sweet aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, very long, fresh finish with many sweet echoing notes. 19/20 2024 - 2045

Tertre Roteboeuf 2016 has a deep garnet color, with a touch of purple. It gallops out of the glass with bold, energetic notes of crushed blackberries, plum preserves, and fruitcake, leading to nuances of charcuterie, licorice, dried roses, and tar with a waft of Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, the palate delivers a profound explosion of black fruits and savory waves, framed by firm yet ripe, grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing very long with a peppery kick. "2016 was hotter and has more alcohol, but it seems more graceful, while the 2015 seems more powerful," commented Francois Mitjaville. "There are flavors of youth, maturity and age. This 2015 is slowly heading towards maturity. The wine is evolving but maintains the energy of the fruit. The real aging flavors come through after 20 or 30 years. At one moment the wine can seem completely dead, but then it isn't. The 1989 is now entering the aging flavors."

The commanding tannic structure serves a fruit driven to full maturity, yet it never relinquishes its final freshness. We’re already in pure voluptuousness.

Dense garnet red. What a nose! Such intensity and complexity. The nose of this wine is simply brilliant, both for its complexity and its fruit intensity. Subtle notes of black berries, licorice wood, violets, a hint of coffee, chocolate and a touch of smokiness. On the palate, the wine is creamy, racy and fruity, with powerful yet very fine tannins that, moreover, provide excellent support and are in harmony with the structure. The latter is racy and brings tension on the finish. Intense, lingering finish. What an exceptional wine.

The nose is aromatic, elegant, delightfully gourmand, offering fine intensity, a hint of “perfume,” and lovely grain finesse. It reveals notes of blackberry, fleshy strawberry and, more subtly, blackcurrant, combined with touches of toasted bread, hints of almond, camphor, flowers, as well as discreet roasted nuances and a very discreet hint of pepper in the background. The palate is fruity, elegant, delightfully indulgent, finely tight-knit, and offers lovely definition and finesse, gentle power, refined, racy minerality and freshness, precise aromatics, a touch of concentration, good fruit purity, appealing juiciness, depth, a tangy backbone, tension, and a lovely texture that is very subtly creamy, very finely structured, and elegant. On the palate, this wine delivers notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry and fleshy/juicy raspberry, joined by small notes of juicy red berries, coffee, small fleshy/juicy black berries, as well as subtle fine touches of toasted bread, toastiness, and discreet hints of spices. The tannins are elegant and very discreetly firm. Good length. Beautiful aromatic persistence! A lovely wine!