Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1982

Characteristics and tasting tips for Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1982

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a mahogany hue with amber highlights, bearing witness to more than four decades of evolution in bottle.

Nose
The bouquet reveals aromas of undergrowth and woodland, accompanied by smoky and licorice notes. Hints of ripe black fruit—blackcurrant and black cherry—linger in the background, while nuances of truffle, tobacco, and cedar add a complex tertiary dimension.

Palate
On the palate, the wine unveils a velvety texture and supple tannins, with moderate acidity that allows the fruit to fully express itself. The structure is round and fleshy, offering beautiful overall harmony. The finish stretches out at length with smoky, mineral, and earthy notes that reflect the clay-limestone character of the terroir.

Food and wine pairings

This wine is an ideal match for roasted or grilled red meats, notably beef and lamb. It also pairs very well with game dishes such as venison or duck, particularly when complemented by mushrooms or wild berries. Aged cheeses also make a harmonious pairing.

Serving and cellaring

Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1982 is ideally served at a temperature of 16-17°C. Gentle decanting for about one hour before serving is recommended to separate the wine from its natural sediment. This vintage has reached full maturity and should be enjoyed over the coming years to fully appreciate its aromatic expression.

A historic Saint-Émilion Grand Cru with evolved aromas

The estate

Located in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes within the Saint-Émilion appellation, Château Tertre Roteboeuf covers 6 hectares of vineyards on south/southeast-facing clay-limestone slopes. Taken over in the late 1970s by François Mitjavile, who now runs the estate with his wife Émilie, the domaine stands out for its artisanal approach to viticulture: very low-trained vines, grass cover, late hand-harvesting, fermentation without added yeasts, and extended aging in new oak barrels, showcasing the most accomplished expression of Bordeaux hillside wines.

The vineyard

Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1982 comes from vines planted on clay-limestone slopes in Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, at the heart of the Saint-Émilion appellation. The terroir is characterized by five different types of clay over a limestone subsoil, creating particularly favorable conditions for merlot. The south-southeast exposure and the vineyard’s amphitheater-like layout allow for optimal ripening of the grapes, while the dry soils reflect solar heat, creating a microclimate that is slightly warmer than the surrounding plots.

The vintage

The 1982 vintage remains legendary in Bordeaux, shaped by exceptional climatic conditions. The year was marked by remarkable warmth and sunshine throughout the growing season, enabling the grapes to reach optimal phenolic ripeness. Harvest took place in warm, dry weather, promoting aromatic concentration and the development of ripe, refined tannins. This vintage revolutionized the Bordeaux approach to winemaking by demonstrating that full ripeness could produce wines that are both powerful and elegant.

Vinification and aging

For this Château Tertre Roteboeuf 1982, vinification was carried out with high fermentation temperatures, approaching 35°C, allowing maximum extraction of aromatic compounds and tannins. Aging took place over 22 months in used barrels, with no new oak due to the financial constraints of the time. Frequent rackings were carried out during this period, providing slight oxidation that contributed to the wine’s complexity. This minimalist approach enabled a direct and authentic expression of the terroir.

Grape varieties

Merlot (majority), cabernet franc