1998 Tertre-Rôteboeuf

"Those who describe right-bank wines in terms of underripe/overripe are wrong," says Francois Mitjavile. "Ripening is never perfect and we need the full range of flavors: the fresher, dynamic flavors of red fruits and the deeper, more opulent licorice and cocoa notes." In 2000, which featured a tiny crop here and at his Cotes de Bourg property Roc de Cambes, "the vines used their reserves of water to develop fresher-than-normal aromas for the vintage, despite all the sun." Mitjavile did not harvest especially late in 2000. "I don't look for surmaturite," he insisted. "But I do pick very late in difficult years when the fruit really struggles to ripen. It an error to harvest with rude, rustic tannins."

Every year has a weakness, notes Francois Mitjavile. "In '98, as in '88, it was rude tannins; the dry August gave rise to a classic Bordeaux style. In '99, it was the too-generous yields, which gave the wines a generous, tender character but also resulted in some dilution. The '99s are more opulent than the '98s but they are not better."

The drought of '98 reminded Francois Mitjavile of 1988; both vintages produced wines with good color, he explained, but in both years there was the risk of hard tannins and lack of fruit. "But the best '98s have dynamic, fresh, aromatic fruit as well as flesh and charm," he says. "These wines are elegant and powerful, and not at all rude; they are the opposite of roti." Mitjavile switched over to cordon de royat after the '95 vintage, an old pruning method (typically the cordon is trained just to one side of the vine) that he says has given him smaller grapes and more concentrated fruit. The '98s here are as complete as any I've tasted from this talented winemaker: they already suggest great aromatic complexity and have the vibrancy to develop slowly and last well in bottle. Mitjavile habit of picking late has given his wines thoroughly ripe tannins. During my visit, Mitjavile compared great wine to great cigars or great coffee: "The objective is to get as much fullness and richness-and sweetness-of aromas and flavors as possible, without having bitter or intrusive tannins or acids, without having any rough edges. Rude tannins in a wine are like an off-note in a piece of music."

The drought of '98 reminded Francois Mitjavile of 1988; both vintages produced wines with good color, he explained, but in both years there was the risk of hard tannins and lack of fruit. "But the best '98s have dynamic, fresh, aromatic fruit as well as flesh and charm," he says. "These wines are elegant and powerful, and not at all rude; they are the opposite of roti." Mitjavile switched over to cordon de royat after the '95 vintage, an old pruning method (typically the cordon is trained just to one side of the vine) that he says has given him smaller grapes and more concentrated fruit. The '98s here are as complete as any I've tasted from this talented winemaker: they already suggest great aromatic complexity and have the vibrancy to develop slowly and last well in bottle. Mitjavile habit of picking late has given his wines thoroughly ripe tannins. During my visit, Mitjavile compared great wine to great cigars or great coffee: "The objective is to get as much fullness and richness-and sweetness-of aromas and flavors as possible, without having bitter or intrusive tannins or acids, without having any rough edges. Rude tannins in a wine are like an off-note in a piece of music."