Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2017

Le Tertre Roteboeuf 2017 is one of those rare Saint-Émilion wines that manages to be both hedonistic and profoundly classical at the same time. From its first swirl in the glass, it announces itself with depth, perfume and a sense of quiet power. This is a true “vin d’auteur” from François Mitjavile, a cult estate whose small production is avidly followed by Bordeaux insiders and collectors alike.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2017 Le Tertre Roteboeuf shows a deep garnet to purple hue, dense at the core with a bright, lively rim that hints at its freshness and youth. The nose is beautifully expressive, opening with notes of wild blueberries, crushed blackcurrants and red currants, layered with lavender, violets and a lifted floral perfume. Underneath lies an exotic spice register—Sichuan pepper, clove, a touch of star anise—wrapped in subtle hints of dark chocolate and fine tobacco. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied with a silky yet firmly structured frame. The tannins are ripe and finely grained, giving a tactile, almost powdery feel that carries the fruit gracefully across the mid-palate. Juicy blue and black fruits are interwoven with savory spice, graphite and a delicate, cool herbal nuance. There is striking freshness and energy here, balancing the richness and lending great precision. The finish is very long, lingering on exotic spices and floral notes. While already compelling with some air, this 2017 has the balance and structure to age gracefully for 12–20 years, gaining complexity and softness with time in the cellar.

Production
Le Tertre Roteboeuf lies on a sun-exposed amphitheatre of clay-limestone slopes on the southeastern side of Saint-Émilion, a sheltered terroir that captures warmth yet retains excellent freshness. The blend is typically dominated by old-vine Merlot with a smaller proportion of Cabernet Franc, all hand-harvested at optimal ripeness in small parcels to preserve fruit integrity—especially crucial in a challenging vintage like 2017. In the cellar, François Mitjavile favors low yields, late picking for perfect phenolic maturity, and a very gentle, traditional vinification in temperature-controlled vats. The wine is then aged in a high proportion of new French oak barriques, where it slowly develops its signature silkiness, aromatic complexity and depth before bottling at the estate.

Food & Serving
Tertre Roteboeuf 2017 is a superb partner for refined dishes built around high-quality meats and deeply flavored sauces. Consider roast lamb with herbs, dry-aged ribeye with jus, duck breast with cherry or fig reduction, or slow-braised veal or beef cheeks. It also pairs beautifully with truffle-infused dishes, wild mushroom ragouts and aged hard cheeses such as Comté or mature Gouda. Serve at 16–18°C, ideally after 1–2 hours in a decanter in its youth to allow the aromatics and texture to fully unfurl. As it matures in bottle, a shorter decant of 30–45 minutes will be enough to awaken the wine without diminishing its more delicate tertiary notes.

Producer
Le Tertre Roteboeuf is one of the most distinctive and sought-after domaines in Saint-Émilion, crafted under the vision of François Mitjavile since the late 1970s. Located on an unusually well-exposed slope near the village of Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, the estate has earned a near-cult following for its opulent yet poised wines that stand apart from more conventional Bordeaux styles. Mitjavile’s philosophy—low yields, late harvesting, and meticulous élevage—has made Tertre Roteboeuf a benchmark for artisanal right-bank Bordeaux. Despite its small size, the property is widely regarded as one of the region’s most characterful and consistently top-performing producers, with its wines regularly featuring in the cellars of serious collectors and top restaurants around the world.

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