1996 Château Le Tertre-Roteboeuf

Château Le Tertre-Roteboeuf is a Grand Cru of the St.-Emilion and the estate is known for its much acclaimed wine and odd-sounding, though charming, name. The name translates as “the hill of the belching beef” because the property was once used for cattle grazing. But since 1978, when Francois Mitjavile inherited the day- to-day operations of the 15-acre property from his father-in-law, Le Tertre-Roteboeuf has been one of the stars of the Right Bank. Mitjavile worked for several years at Château Figeac before taking on his wife’s family estate, and by the mid-1980s his Tertre-Roteboeuf wines had reached cult status. The vineyards are planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and 25,000 bottles are produced annually. There is no second wine. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “the extraordinary winemaking skills of Francois Mitjavile have produced one of Bordeaux’s most luxurious, sensual and sexy wines…(the wine) has an inimitable style of its own.”

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.