Chateau Tertre de Roteboeuf
The story of Château Tertre-Roteboeuf is essentially the story of François Mitjavile. The estate, originally known as Château Tertre and owned by his wife Miloute's family, was not highly regarded before François took over.
François and Miloute were living in Paris, with no real connection to the wine industry except for occasional visits to Saint-Emilion. However, in the 1970s, François grew tired of city life and decided to move back to the family estate in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, hoping to revive the vineyard. However, he had no experience or knowledge of viticulture or winemaking. Fortunately, Bordeaux offered many opportunities to learn, and François completed a two-year apprenticeship at Château Figeac in 1975 before taking over Château Tertre-Roteboeuf in 1977.
One of François' early decisions was to add "Roteboeuf" to the estate's name, which referred to the lower slopes of the vineyard and was found on older maps of the region. The name has caused some confusion because it sounds like "roast beef," but it actually comes from the French word "roter," which means to burp and reflects the sound of the oxen that once pulled the plow up the challenging slope. François wanted to distinguish his estate from other properties named Tertre, of which there were many.
Today Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf is a renowned St-Emilion estate, classified as a Grand Cru. The vineyard covers 6 hectare area and is located on a steep slope at the edge of a limestone clay plateau. The grapes, consisting of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc are on average 50 years old. Harvest is done done manually, fermentation is done in temperature-controlled concrete tanks. The wine is aged for 18 months in 100% new oak barrels. Production is 25.000 bottles (35 hectoliters).
Tertre Rotebouef are without exception high scoring wines, especially the last 30+ years.
The story of Château Tertre-Roteboeuf is essentially the story of François Mitjavile. The estate, originally known as Château Tertre and owned by his wife Miloute's family, was not highly regarded before François took over. After Miloute's father passed away in 1961, her cousins, who owned Château Bellefont-Belcier, took over management of the vineyard and made the wine at their own property. The family-owned estate was not prospering and the cellars were empty.
Meanwhile, François and Miloute were living in Paris, with no real connection to the wine industry except for occasional visits to Saint-Emilion. However, in the 1970s, François grew tired of city life and decided to move back to the family estate in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, hoping to revive the vineyard. The only problem was that he had no experience or knowledge of viticulture or winemaking. Fortunately, Bordeaux offered many opportunities to learn, and François completed a two-year apprenticeship at Château Figeac in 1975 before taking over Château Tertre-Roteboeuf in 1977.
One of François' early decisions was to add "Roteboeuf" to the estate's name, which referred to the lower slopes of the vineyard and was found on older maps of the region. The name has caused some confusion because it sounds like "roast beef," but it actually comes from the French word "roter," which means to burp and reflects the sound of the oxen that once pulled the plow up the challenging slope. François wanted to distinguish his estate from other properties named Tertre, of which there were many.
The story of Château Tertre-Roteboeuf is essentially the story of François Mitjavile. The estate, originally known as Château Tertre and owned by his wife Miloute's family, was not highly regarded before François took over. After Miloute's father passed away in 1961, her cousins, who owned Château Bellefont-Belcier, took over management of the vineyard and made the wine at their own property. The family-owned estate was not prospering and the cellars were empty.
Meanwhile, François and Miloute were living in Paris, with no real connection to the wine industry except for occasional visits to Saint-Emilion. However, in the 1970s, François grew tired of city life and decided to move back to the family estate in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, hoping to revive the vineyard. The only problem was that he had no experience or knowledge of viticulture or winemaking. Fortunately, Bordeaux offered many opportunities to learn, and François completed a two-year apprenticeship at Château Figeac in 1975 before taking over Château Tertre-Roteboeuf in 1977.
One of François' early decisions was to add "Roteboeuf" to the estate's name, which referred to the lower slopes of the vineyard and was found on older maps of the region. The name has caused some confusion because it sounds like "roast beef," but it actually comes from the French word "roter," which means to burp and reflects the sound of the oxen that once pulled the plow up the challenging slope. François wanted to distinguish his estate from other properties named Tertre, of which there were many.
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