Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2008

Tasted blind. Deep blackish ruby. Sweet, mellow Merlot nose with some spice, interest and distinction. Not exactly dense but offers lots of pleasure. (JR)

Saturated medium ruby. Exotic aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat, roast coffee and minerals; this has to be the sexiest nose of the vintage. Lush, sweet and silky, like a wave of dark berries, smoke and minerals washing over the palate. Finishes with sweet tannins and palate-staining persistence. This may not last forever (Tertre-Roteboeuf has a record for mid-term aging), but for tickling your G-spot over the next 10 or 12 years, this is pretty much of a sure thing.

Silky, fresh, elegant and vibrant, the essence of juicy, sweet, ripe red cherries and raspberry is everywhere. Things get better and more complex as floral, truffle, earth, smoke and licorice notes come into play. Sensuously textured with a beautiful purity of fruit, this elegantly styled treat is really starting to show well.

Deep, dense garnet with almost black highlights. Bouquet of noble Darjeeling, licorice, blueberries, Sichuan pepper. Juicy palate, a brilliant composition of spices, black berries and Damask plums, beautifully balanced, with fine stem notes and black tea again on the long, aromatic finish. A great wine with plenty of potential.

Deep, saturated garnet with almost black highlights. The bouquet evokes noble tea, Darjeeling, liquorice, blueberry notes, Sichuan pepper and plenty of liquorice. Juicy palate showing a brilliant balance of spices, black berries and damson plums, a fine stem note, and once again black tea in the long, aromatic finish. A great wine with plenty of potential. 10: Tasted at the estate from cask shortly before bottling. An aromatic bouquet with a slightly cool impression: tobacco, cassis canes, barely ripe plums, quite deep. Superb breadth on the palate with creamy tannins around the edges, malt-liquorice notes in the finely racy, subtly black-peppered extract. A powerful Tertre with good ageing capacity. It will require patience to reach its first drinking window, as it still needs to shed, or rather integrate, the slightly bitter tannins on the tongue.

Lush, sweet, creamy, spicy bouquet with chocolate, mint, lemon thyme, dried fruits and mocha. Velvety, soft, sweet palate with a creamy structure, powerful sweet aromatics, dried fruits, and also a slight bitterness. Very long, opulent finish. Can still improve. 18/20 2013 - 2026

More classic in terms of structure and aromatic precision than its predecessor, this 2008 shines with finesse and stature; it is a wine of great formal perfection.