Wine Advisor
Tertre Roteboeuf 2008
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Saturated medium ruby. Exotic aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat, roast coffee and minerals; this has to be the sexiest nose of the vintage. Lush, sweet and silky, like a wave of dark berries, smoke and minerals washing over the palate. Finishes with sweet tannins and palate-staining persistence. This may not last forever (Tertre-Roteboeuf has a record for mid-term aging), but for tickling your G-spot over the next 10 or 12 years, this is pretty much of a sure thing.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2008 Le Tertre-Rôteboeuf, now at ten years old, still appears youthful in the glass with little sign of maturation on the rim. The bouquet is similarly surprisingly backward with tightly wound black fruit laced with Earl Grey and subtle autumn leaf aromas, all very well defined. With continued aeration it reveals iris and light peaty scents. The palate is very fresh on the entry with firm tannin. There is a mass to this Saint Émilion that fills the mouth, but there is also striking mineralité...you can feel that limestone after the wine has departed. Yes, there is sinew embroidered into this wine and therefore it will require another four to five years in bottle, but there is so much potential here, one of the best wines of the appellation. Chapeau François Mitjavile. (Tasted at the château.)
About the Producer
Tertre Roteboeuf is located in the Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux, France, and is one of the top local wineries. Chateau Rotbouf owns 5.7 hectares of vineyards, mainly located in the southeast of Saint-Émilion. The soil in the garden is mostly limestone and clay soil. 80% of the vineyard is planted with Merlot and 20% with Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 40 years, with some Cabernet Franc vines approaching 50 years old. The way of cultivating vines in Rotpov Winery is different. The vines are mainly cultivated in a low cultivation method, which is conducive to the formation of a unique microclimate in the vineyard, making the temperature of the vineyard higher than that of other nearby vineyards. These are conducive to the ripening of grapes. Due to the fact that the vineyards are located in cooler climates, Rotpov often delays the picking of the grapes. The picked grapes are screened, pressed, and then fermented in traditional cement vats. The wine obtained from fermentation will undergo malolactic fermentation (Malolactic Fermentation) in wooden barrels. The winery will mature the wine in new French oak barrels for 18 to 24 months. Chateau Rotbouve has reached the standard of classified winery, but the winery insists not to join the classification system. Such a decision did not affect the status of Chateau Rotbouf in Saint-Émilion or even Bordeaux at all, and the price and market demand of the winery of the chateau have always been at the forefront.
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