Château Tertre Roteboeuf 2004

Deep ruby-red. Black raspberry, minerals and smoked meat on the nose. Lush and sweet but in a reserved style; an extremely idiosyncratic wine that combines an almost syrah-like liqueur quality and very fresh acids that accentuate the wine's fruit. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins that seem finer—or at least lighter—than those of the massive 2005. A very lively style of Tertre-Roteboeuf with less obvious sweetness than many recent vintages here.

Earthy, smoky, plum liqueur, tobacco and truffle aromas are perfectly paired with the silky, polished, sexy, exotic textured fruit and spice that coats your palate with sweet, fresh cherries. This is drinking in the sweet spot today.

Deep, still young garnet. Nose still restrained, with slightly meaty notes, cardamom, musk, prunes. Palate still tense, showing pleasant astringency, fine muscle, thus displaying great breed, long retro-aroma, needing a good five years to reach its first maturity.

05: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. 25 hl/ha. 70 barriques. Very dark garnet with bluish highlights. Extremely concentrated, perfumed bouquet with plenty of licorice, damson plums, and black tea notes. On the palate, very juicy and long, with coffee notes, pumpernickel, blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles. Unlike the previous vintage, which seemed overcooked, this wine is “back to its old self,” combining opulence and freshness. (18/20). 07: Deep, still young garnet. Still restrained bouquet, slight meaty notes, cardamom, musk, prunes. Still nervy on the palate, showing pleasant astringency, fine muscle, thus also displaying great breed, long aftertaste. Needs a good 5 years to reach its first maturity.

One of the richest, most balanced and most complex wines of the vintage, despite the huge risks taken in winemaking. A unique mouthfeel, true to the cru.

The bottled 2004 Tertre Roteboeuf is a very good effort for the vintage, revealing a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-like kirsch liqueur note intermixed with hints of beef blood, sweet herbs, and licorice. It will not make anyone forget the monumental 2000 or top-notch 1998, but it is a well-made effort displaying a medium-bodied, lush finish with noticeable tannin. It appears to be at an incongruous stage of development, showing both sweetness and hardness, somewhat like the classic Chinese play of sweet versus sour. It reminds me of a lighter version of Tertre Roteboeuf’s successful 1994. Drink it over the next 12–15 years.