Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1998

A dramatic, flamboyant nose of roasted espresso intermixed with chocolate fudge, blackberries, Asian spices, and kirsch jumps from the glass of this ostentatious effort. Full-bodied and layered, with an unctuous texture, gorgeous purity, and an undeniable hedonistic explosion of fruit and glycerin, it can be drunk now, or cellared for 15+ years. To my taste, it is the finest Le Tertre-Roteboeuf since 1990. But watch out for the 2000!

Aromas of plums, berries and meat, with hints of fresh herbs. Full-bodied, with loads of sweet fruit and round tannins. Long and juicy. Hard not to drink now. -- '88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2010.

Gentle raspberry and redcurrant notes, soft cured leather and campfire smoke. This wine has held on to its sense of the dramatic and is fully open, showing some delicacy in the tannins on the finish, with touches of caramel and kirsch, too. With 100% of production in the grand vin, this shows exactly why François Mitjavile’s property was starting to make such a stir at this point.

Dark and healthy colour. Savoury nose with velvety, full, meaty development. Round and fully mature, with fine sandy tannins on the finish. Not complete, but already a rewarding drink. Quite a strong Cabernet influence. Sweet. (JR)

Deep, bright ruby. Wild, highly nuanced nose combining black cherry, raspberry, roast coffee, smoked meat, exotic spices and pepper notes. Incredibly sweet and rich on the palate; creamy, confectionery fruit caresses the palate. Finishes with lush, fully ripe tannins and explosive fruit flavors. One of the superstars of the vintage; a wine that will give pleasure early and age well.

Black cherries, chocolate, smoke, spice, chocolate and roses meld together. The wine is lush, rich, full, opulent and elegant with a silky, polished, long finish. Fully mature, this is a beauty that I seem to have seriously underrated. Drink from 2023-2030.

Intense garnet red with purple highlights. Open, lavish plum bouquet, chopped candied orange peel, currants, prunes in syrup. On the palate, black cherries, more plums, dark caramel and mocha, a great Tertre-Rôtebœuf. Very close to the brilliant 1990, perhaps even a touch more elegant.

00: Barrel sample (19/20): intense garnet with purple glints. Open, lavish plum bouquet, chopped candied orange peel, currants. On the palate, black cherries, again plums, dark caramel and mocha. A great Tertre-Rôteboeuf, very close to the brilliant 1990 and perhaps even a touch more elegant. 02: It was already very late and I was really tired, as I had tasted more than 250 barrel samples of the 2001 vintage that day. So I took the glass, which was served to me blind, out of politeness, sipped it and was completely blown away: rich, opulent and overflowing with ripe, plummy Merlot. Even at the barrel stage I compared it to the brilliant 1990, where it definitely belongs for me now. It could even reach the century mark — and that in about five years. Joy abounds — if you have it in the cellar! 19/20. 06: Tasted blind at Restaurant Bambou in Freibert (near Dresden). A rich, powerful wine showing surprisingly lots of fruit. This swings back and forth between freshly picked wild berries and jammy impressions. A heavy wine that somehow still doesn’t cloy. (19/20). 08: Medium garnet, fine brick-tinged hue. Fairly open bouquet, shows nuttiness with pralines and other chocolate notes, fine gamey tones, warm impression. Medium-bodied on the palate, ripe tannins, which feel gently austere and also a bit dry; in the finish more earthy than fruity, already turning somewhat toward “terroir.” 11: We opened two bottles at the big 1998 blind tasting at Faugères. Although well-muscled, it somehow lacked fat and showed a hint of uncleanliness. ??? Let’s skip the score, but approach with caution. 15: Intense, ethereal bouquet, dark plums, Earl Grey tea. On the palate also coconut notes and pralines. Somehow the wine is still fat on the outside — but lacks a bit of consistency inside. You get the feeling the air is gradually going out.

Sweet, powerful, complex bouquet: dried plums, tobacco, pralines. Velvety, creamy, opulent, sweet palate with a plush, sweet aromatic profile, creamy structure, and a long, generous, full finish. 19/20 drink - 2030

This warm vintage saw an extended winemaking period, reflecting the extremely ripe fruits, and took even longer than the 2009 to be fully fermented dry. At this point it is bursting with soft tobacco, crushed roses, white truffles and campfire smoke, with waves of kirsch cherry and clove. Natural yeast fermentation, exuberant with layers of fresh oyster shell salinity, not without faults but that is part of the charm. 100% new oak.

A masterful wine, with youthful energy, fruit, and a truly dazzling brightness. Unforgettable!

The colour shows some evolution, and the nose has attractive very ripe fruit without great intensity. Gentle on entry, it offers a refined texture and a complex flavour with exotic accents, reminiscent of Troplong Mondot. The wine finishes tasty, liquorice-tinged and fairly deep. Very nice, savoury length, with grainy tannins free of hardness. I tasted it identically in 2005, again from a purchased bottle. A fine success.