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Tertre-Rôteboeuf

According to winemaker/philosopher Francois Mitjavile, "there is no general understanding of the 2003 vintage based on its faults and its qualities. The plant was completely disturbed during its vegetative cycle. Winemakers were also disturbed: some could have harvested too early or made the mistake of acidifying. And now early tasters are disturbed as well." Mitjavile maintains that there are three styles of wine on the Right Bank in 2003. "First, there are wines with cooked fruit and rustic tannins. But, where the plant could work until a late harvest, there are also wines with great corpulence and the kind of fresh, explosive red fruits we find in classic vintages. The third case is what we got here: a very original vintage, which does not mean something greater than the classic years. Here, 2003 brought extreme, complete maturity. We could expect Mediterranean aromas, but in fact we got Bordeaux aromas. The alcohol is very high but you don't taste it, in part because the tannins are so supple. The vintage is almost the opposite style from 2002: creamy tannins with caramelized flavors, while 2002 shows aggressive red fruits but is not as rich as 2003." Mitjavile compared the new wine to his '89, which he believes dried out slightly during its elevage "The 2003 is more evolved and more stable than the '89," he told me. More than ever before, I was struck by the extreme individuality of Le Tertre-Roteboeuf. In the ripest years, it's distinctly roasted and yet alive. "The idea of millesime is of disturbing strangeness," said Mitjavile. "It's by definition an extreme expression of appellation controlee To the end of crafting a wine that's an accurate expression of its harvest year, Mitjavile always assembles everything in the blend, including the press wine and vin de lie, during the fermentation process.

From The Annual Red Bordeaux Report (May 2004) by Stephen Tanzer

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2002 Saint-Emilion

Color: Red

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2003 Saint-Emilion

Color: Red

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2001 Saint-Emilion

Release Price: $98

Color: Red

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Tertre-Rôteboeuf

2002 Saint-Emilion

2003 Saint-Emilion

2001 Saint-Emilion

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