Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1986

This wine has lost some of its fat, opulent fleshiness, with the tannins showing a bit more toughness than several years ago. The wine is fully mature, not likely to get better, and probably best drunk up over the next 5–6 years. The color is showing some amber at the edge, and the wine still has beautiful ripeness, richness, and a very sweet, vanillin-infused black cherry and berry character. The wine is medium-bodied, but the finish is just a bit shorter than it was several years ago. Anticipated maturity: Now–2006. Last tasted, 12/02.

No tasting note available

New arrival (17/20): A truly astonishing potential that will reach the very top tiers of the St. Emilion classification! Peppery, straightforward nose. Round, very harmonious tannins with flesh and juice. Classy wine! 94: Gently orange highlights in a tired garnet. Oaky, sweet nose; radiating lots of aroma and ripe fruit. Full-bodied, supple palate, again with lovely sweetness, almost creamy, Burgundy-like aromas, moving towards its peak. 17/20 drink – 1998

Metallic, slender bouquet with raisins. Dry, slender palate with dry extract. Medium finish. 16/20 drink up

Dark red color. Medium intensity. Evolved. Nose of medium intensity. Fine. Very fruity. Note of prunes in syrup. Tobacco. Animal touch. With swirling, intense. Powerful. Very Merlot. Slightly soft attack, developing into a round, even full-bodied mid-palate. It builds with texture in the middle of the mouth with a new oak flavor. Energetic, tannic but not rustic, it goes down easily into a long, powerful finish. For a moment I thought the final tannin might come from Cabernet, but I now believe it’s from an excess of new oak. That’s a pity. This bottle is far superior to the one tasted in the vertical in January.