Chateau Tertre de Roteboeuf
Many well-known Bordeaux estates have earned their reputation, besides of course of their quality of the wines, in the traditional way: through the classification system, extensive cellars and a string of positive reviews in the press. Tertre Rôteboeuf has followed none of these paths. Situated on a hillside in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, a couple of kilometres south-east of Saint-Émilion, it covers an area of less than six hectares and has never applied for inclusion in the classification. Furthermore, it does not sell wine en primeur. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, its wine is very sought-after worldwide.
History
The vineyard is historic, but its reputation is not. Until the late 1970s, this estate was simply known as ‘Château Le Tertre’, a name it shared with several other properties in the region and nobody paid it much attention. It belonged to Émile Gilard, and when he died in 1961, the estate passed to his daughter Émilie, whom everyone called Miloute. At that time, she and her husband François Mitjavile were living in Paris and pursuing careers that had nothing to do with wine.
The couple decided to take over the running of the estate themselves. Neither of them knew how to make wine, so François set off to learn. He spent about two years working at Château Figeac, then returned and took over the management after the 1977 harvest. 1978 was the first vintage he produced on his own.
One of his first steps was to change the name. There were too many ‘Tertres’ in the neighbourhood, so he added ‘Roteboeuf’, a name taken from old maps of the area. It translates roughly as ‘belching bull’ and refers to the cattle that once pulled ploughs up on this hill, which is steep enough that the oxen would apparently have made characteristic sounds whilst doing so. The upper part of the estate, around the house, is called ‘Tertres’; the lower slope is ‘Roteboeuf’.
For many years, almost no one paid any attention to it. The estate was barely mentioned in standard guides to Bordeaux in the mid-1980s. Then wines from the mid-to-late 1980s vintages began to appear, and its reputation grew very quickly.
In the late 1980s, Mitjavile wanted to expand his vineyards but could not afford the prices in Saint-Émilion, so instead he bought Roc de Cambes in the Côtes de Bourg, another amphitheatre-shaped slope. Since then, the family has expanded its holdings. His son Louis and Louis’s wife Caroline bought an estate in the Castillon hills in the 2000s and renamed it ‘L’Aurage’. His daughter Nina manages Roc de Cambes.
The vineyard
By any measure, this is a small estate, around 5.7 hectares. It consists of a single plot on a single hillside, which can be walked around in a matter of minutes.
The plot forms a continuation of the same strip of hillside on which Pavie and Larcis Ducasse are situated, jutting out like a sort of peninsula. Troplong-Mondot is situated nearby. The vines face south and south-east, sloping down from the house towards sandier terrain which eventually reaches the River Dordogne. The plot is shaped like a half-bowl, a feature that largely accounts for its success: it catches the morning sun early and retains heat.
Production volumes are correspondingly small, in a typical year, they range from 20,000 to 25,000 bottles. Only one wine is produced.
Terroir
Clay on limestone , the classic formula for the Côtes de Saint-Émilion, but with some distinctive features. The subsoil retains relatively little water, so the vines never stand in mud; moreover, according to some sources, there is more than one type of clay present on the plot, rather than a single homogeneous layer. The underlying limestone does the rest, giving the roots space to grow and preventing the wine from becoming heavy.
The slope is no less important than the soil. It ensures good drainage and warms up well; moreover, due to its slight distance from the plateau, conditions here differ somewhat from those in the vineyards situated directly at the summit. Mitjavile has always trained his vines low to the ground, close to the soil, which promotes slow and even ripening of the fruit rather than hasty ripening.
Grape Varieties
Merlot is the main grape variety, approximately 80 per cent, followed by Cabernet Franc making up the other approximately 20 per cent. There is no Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot or any other variety.
The average age of the vines is around 40–45 years, with Cabernet Franc generally being slightly older than Merlot. Yields are low, and the harvest begins late, sometimes alarmingly late. Mitjavile’s stated aim is to harvest when the grapes are on the very brink of overripeness, at the moment when they reach their peak quality and, at the same time, become most vulnerable. He has been doing this for quite some time, so it now seems more a result of his experience than a matter of luck.
Winemaking
The cellar is small, and the approach to winemaking is deliberately uncomplicated. Fermentation takes place with virtually no intervention, after which the wine is aged in barrels for approximately two years, with a significant proportion aged in new French oak barrels. The ageing periods vary from around 18 months to almost two and a half years depending on the vintage, which is in keeping with the estate’s approach of treating each year individually.
Two details speak volumes about how things are organised here. Firstly, the barrels are supplied by the same cooperage with which the estate has worked since the very beginning, whilst the degree of toasting is adjusted according to the specific vintage. The same applies to the cork supplier and the printing house that produces the labels. Secondly, no second wine is produced here. If a barrel does not meet the grand vin standards, it is sold, which is unusual for Bordeaux and, according to Mitjavile, provides a more honest picture of what was actually produced in each specific year.
Furthermore, the estate does not participate in the ‘en primeur’ system, selling its wine directly to a regular circle of merchants and importers.
Wines
There is only one label: Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. It is not a Grand Cru Classé, as the estate has never applied for this status, and Mitjavile has stated explicitly that he has never particularly sought it. Most critics believe that, had an application been submitted, the wine would easily have been ranked amongst the very best.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tertre Rôteboeuf a Grand Cru Classé wine? No. It is marketed as a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, which is a general appellation designation rather than a classification. This estate has never participated in the classification system. This has no bearing on the quality or price, and the wine is sold at prices comparable to the appellation’s classified First Growths.
Where does the name come from? Roteboeuf is the name of the plot at the bottom of the slope, and it means ‘belching bull’: cattle once pulled ploughs up a hill so steep that the animals would gasp for breath in the process according to legend. Mitjavile added it to the original name ‘Tertre’ in the late 1970s to distinguish the estate from other ‘Tertres’ in Bordeaux.
Can you visit the estate? Not directly: the estate is very small and isn't positioned for tourists or visitors, unlike the larger châteaux of Saint-Émilion. Anyone wishing to visit should contact the owners directly and in advance, rather than simply turning up unannounced.
History
The vineyard is historic, but its reputation is not. Until the late 1970s, this estate was simply known as ‘Château Le Tertre’, a name it shared with several other properties in the region and nobody paid it much attention. It belonged to Émile Gilard, and when he died in 1961, the estate passed to his daughter Émilie, whom everyone called Miloute. At that time, she and her husband François Mitjavile were living in Paris and pursuing careers that had nothing to do with wine.
The couple decided to take over the running of the estate themselves. Neither of them knew how to make wine, so François set off to learn. He spent about two years working at Château Figeac, then returned and took over the management after the 1977 harvest. 1978 was the first vintage he produced on his own.
One of his first steps was to change the name. There were too many ‘Tertres’ in the neighbourhood, so he added ‘Roteboeuf’, a name taken from old maps of the area. It translates roughly as ‘belching bull’ and refers to the cattle that once pulled ploughs up on this hill, which is steep enough that the oxen would apparently have made characteristic sounds whilst doing so. The upper part of the estate, around the house, is called ‘Tertres’; the lower slope is ‘Roteboeuf’.
For many years, almost no one paid any attention to it. The estate was barely mentioned in standard guides to Bordeaux in the mid-1980s. Then wines from the mid-to-late 1980s vintages began to appear, and its reputation grew very quickly.
In the late 1980s, Mitjavile wanted to expand his vineyards but could not afford the prices in Saint-Émilion, so instead he bought Roc de Cambes in the Côtes de Bourg, another amphitheatre-shaped slope. Since then, the family has expanded its holdings. His son Louis and Louis’s wife Caroline bought an estate in the Castillon hills in the 2000s and renamed it ‘L’Aurage’. His daughter Nina manages Roc de Cambes.
The vineyard
By any measure, this is a small estate, around 5.7 hectares. It consists of a single plot on a single hillside, which can be walked around in a matter of minutes.
The plot forms a continuation of the same strip of hillside on which Pavie and Larcis Ducasse are situated, jutting out like a sort of peninsula. Troplong-Mondot is situated nearby. The vines face south and south-east, sloping down from the house towards sandier terrain which eventually reaches the River Dordogne. The plot is shaped like a half-bowl, a feature that largely accounts for its success: it catches the morning sun early and retains heat.
Production volumes are correspondingly small, in a typical year, they range from 20,000 to 25,000 bottles. Only one wine is produced.
Terroir
Clay on limestone , the classic formula for the Côtes de Saint-Émilion, but with some distinctive features. The subsoil retains relatively little water, so the vines never stand in mud; moreover, according to some sources, there is more than one type of clay present on the plot, rather than a single homogeneous layer. The underlying limestone does the rest, giving the roots space to grow and preventing the wine from becoming heavy.
The slope is no less important than the soil. It ensures good drainage and warms up well; moreover, due to its slight distance from the plateau, conditions here differ somewhat from those in the vineyards situated directly at the summit. Mitjavile has always trained his vines low to the ground, close to the soil, which promotes slow and even ripening of the fruit rather than hasty ripening.
Grape Varieties
Merlot predominates, accounting for approximately 80 per cent, with Cabernet Franc making up the remainder. There is no Cabernet Sauvignon, no Malbec, nor any other varieties here.
The average age of the vines is around 40–45 years, with Cabernet Franc generally being slightly older than Merlot. Yields are low, and the harvest begins late, sometimes alarmingly late. Mitjavile’s stated aim is to harvest when the grapes are on the very brink of overripeness, at the moment when they reach their peak quality and, at the same time, become most vulnerable. He has been doing this for quite some time, so it now seems more a result of his experience than a matter of luck.
Winemaking
The cellar is small, and the approach to winemaking is deliberately uncomplicated. Fermentation takes place with virtually no intervention, after which the wine is aged in barrels for approximately two years, with a significant proportion aged in new French oak barrels. The ageing periods vary from around 18 months to almost two and a half years depending on the vintage, which is in keeping with the estate’s approach of treating each year individually.
Two details speak volumes about how things are organised here. Firstly, the barrels are supplied by the same cooperage with which the estate has worked since the very beginning, whilst the degree of toasting is adjusted according to the specific vintage. The same applies to the cork supplier and the printing house that produces the labels. Secondly, no second wine is produced here. If a barrel does not meet the grand vin standards, it is sold, which is unusual for Bordeaux and, according to Mitjavile, provides a more honest picture of what was actually produced in each specific year.
Furthermore, the estate does not participate in the ‘en primeur’ system, selling its wine directly to a regular circle of merchants and importers.
Wines
There is only one label: Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. It is not a Grand Cru Classé, as the estate has never applied for this status, and Mitjavile has stated explicitly that he has never particularly sought it. Most critics believe that, had an application been submitted, the wine would easily have been ranked amongst the very best.
The wine’s style is recognisable across all vintages: dark, ripe fruit; a rich bouquet; tannins that feel soft rather than harsh; and a fruity sweetness derived from late harvesting rather than any additives. When young, the wine is generous, which tempts people to drink it too early, yet it is capable of ageing for decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tertre Rôteboeuf a Grand Cru Classé wine? No. It is marketed as a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, which is a general appellation designation rather than a classification. This estate has never participated in the classification system. This has no bearing on the quality or price, and the wine is sold at prices comparable to the appellation’s classified First Growths.
Why such a strange name? ‘Roteboeuf’ is the name of a plot at the bottom of the slope, and it means ‘belching bull’, a reference to the cattle that once pulled ploughs up a hill so steep that the animals would gasp for breath in the process. Mitjavile added it to the original name ‘Tertre’ in the late 1970s to distinguish the estate from other ‘Tertres’ in Bordeaux.
Can you visit the estate? The estate is very small and does not operate as a tourist attraction, unlike the larger châteaux of Saint-Émilion. Anyone wishing to visit should contact the owners directly and in advance, rather than simply turning up unannounced.
