Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2016

Le Tertre Roteboeuf 2016 is a captivating Saint-Émilion grand vin that perfectly showcases the estate’s trademark combination of richness, freshness and silk-smooth texture. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from very low yields, it is both hedonistic and impeccably balanced, crafted for those who appreciate Bordeaux at its most sensual and precise. The 2016 vintage is particularly admired for its purity of fruit, elegant structure, and the decision to harvest relatively early, preserving remarkable freshness in a ripe year.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Tertre Roteboeuf 2016 shows a deep, vibrant ruby to garnet core with a luminous rim, signaling both concentration and finesse. The bouquet is wonderfully pure and fresh, opening with layers of crushed strawberries, ripe raspberries and blood orange, intertwined with hints of violets, sweet spice, cedar and a touch of new oak that is already well integrated. On the palate, the wine is lush yet poised, with a velvety texture and beautifully fine-grained tannins. The Merlot provides plush red and black fruit – think ripe plum, cherry and raspberry coulis – while the Cabernet Franc adds lift, floral notes and a subtle graphite edge. Perfectly judged acidity gives the wine an energetic spine, balancing the richness and making each sip feel vibrant rather than heavy. The oak is present but in harmony, framing the fruit rather than dominating it. This 2016 has excellent aging potential: it is already seductive in its youth, but will gain in complexity and tertiary nuances (truffle, tobacco, forest floor) over the next 15–25 years, and likely longer in ideal cellaring conditions.

Production
Le Tertre Roteboeuf sits on a naturally amphitheater-shaped slope in Saint-Émilion, with clay-limestone soils that are ideal for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The exposure and terroir promote even ripening while retaining freshness, a crucial element in the estate’s style. Yields are kept very low – around 35 hl/ha in 2016 – to maximize concentration. The grapes are harvested by hand between 14 and 18 October, with painstaking selection in the vineyard and at the winery. Vinification is traditional and detail-driven, favoring whole, perfectly ripe berries and a gentle extraction to preserve finesse. The wine is then aged in a high proportion of new French oak barrels, where it undergoes a long élevage that polishes the tannins and deepens the wine’s texture without sacrificing its vibrant fruit and aromatic clarity.

Food & Serving
Le Tertre Roteboeuf 2016 is a superb partner for refined, flavorful dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, duck breast, veal with morels, or beef fillet with a red wine reduction. It also pairs beautifully with truffle-based cuisine, mushroom risotto, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatics and balance; avoid serving too warm, which can blur its freshness. Decanting for 1–2 hours is recommended in its youth to allow the bouquet to open fully and the tannins to soften, while older bottles should be handled more gently, with a shorter decant just to remove sediment.

Producer
Le Tertre Roteboeuf is one of Bordeaux’s most distinctive and sought-after estates, the life’s work of François Mitjavile, who transformed this small Saint-Émilion property into a cult reference from the late 1970s onwards. Working largely outside the traditional classification system, Mitjavile built his reputation on meticulous vineyard work, very low yields and an unwavering focus on ripeness, texture and aromatic complexity. Today, his daughter Nina Mitjavile works closely alongside him, ensuring continuity of style and philosophy. Despite its modest size and lack of official cru classé status, Le Tertre Roteboeuf is regarded as one of the Right Bank’s great names, consistently producing wines that rival top classified growths in both quality and critical acclaim.

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