Château du Tertre 2024

Expressive, still marked by oak, showing complexity with a mix of dark and red berries; juicy palate, delicate fruit, not over-extracted, well-structured, harmonious, long-lasting. Very successful.

Lifted fragrance – blackcurrants and cherries on the nose. Tannins have a soft chew and fleshiness with clear, cool fruit providing the main focus. There’s bright acidity with a mouthwatering edge that’s highly enjoyable before salty, tobacco notes come in on the finish. Well made with precision and still enough fruit and flavour to be enjoyable. Ageing is likely to add a touch more structure. Very good. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Ageing in 60% new oak. 60% production. 3.6 pH. Tasted three times.

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Dark fruit with a spicy edge. Lively and fresh with adequate juice on the palate. Tannins fine and integrated. Correct. (JL)

Minty cherries, tobacco, and cedar notes are easy to find. The palate is medium-bodied, lifted, vibrant, and fresh, with a focus on its core of soft cherry fruits, with their refreshing spearmint finish. You can enjoy this early in life. The wine blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV. Harvesting took place September 24 - October 8. Drink from 2027-2040. 90-92 pts

Full-bodied and warm, hedonistic, the nose is all ripe purple fruits, a hint of smoke, dark chocolate and floral sap. Intense and ultra-concentrated, the palate is marked by a bright acid spine, like wild blackberry juice, wrapped in an elegant, finely grained texture.

The bouquet of Tertre 2024 reveals nuances of blackcurrant, mint, iris and roasted bell pepper. With good density, the wine is driven by smooth tannins and a structure that delivers freshness and character. The finish, subtly saline and juicy, is underpinned by an elegant austerity that brings freshness and persistence. The whole should open up further during the forthcoming ageing, but the profile already revealed is convincing. A savoury, harmonious wine that will certainly be enjoyable in its youth, though it still deserves a little time in the cellar.

The nose is aromatic and precise, with a lovely grain, a sense of fullness, and a peppery edge. It reveals notes of Cubeb pepper and nutmeg, and, more lightly, fresh flowers, accented by touches of saffron (on its floral side) and clove, as well as fine hints of blackberry and an almost bay-laurel nuance. The palate is mineral and fresh, offering good definition, a certain juiciness, precision, and suppleness. It shows an attractive textured, gourmet grain, a pleasant iodine hint, and a sapid mid-palate. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry and Charlotte strawberry, and more lightly cornflower, joined by touches of juicy/fresh blackcurrant, as well as a hint of chocolate, toasty tones, a subtle note of vanilla and flowers, and fine points of iodized/racy minerality. Good length. The tannins are precise, forthright, and fresh. Beautiful persistence, with well-judged pleasant bitters on the finish/persistence.

Chalk, slate, rosebuds, super charming; this is a carefully constructed wine, remaining a little on the quiet side of the vintage, walking the line of ripeness, with understated finesse and plenty of Margaux typicity. Helfrich family owners, 40 hl/ha yield.