Grand Vin Saint-Émilion 2005

Château Tertre Rôteboeuf’s owner François Mitjavile described this as “our most beautiful vintage since 1990”. And the critics agree with 98 points for this “sensational effort” from Robert Parker and 97+ points from critic Neal Martin.

Saint-Émilion’s tiny Tertre Rôteboeuf is a winery like no other in Bordeaux. Unlike most owners, François Mitjavile still lives in the chateau, he trains his low-yielding vines in an incredibly low cordon system, picks his grapes later than most and ages his wines in a slightly oxidative manner in heated cellars. This is a true original, a cult wine in every sense.

Hailing from maybe Saint-Émilion’s finest ever vintage, the 2005 Grand Vin is a hedonistic whirlwind and a legend in the making. Cherry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, kirsch, cassis, Chambord, fresh flowers, coffee grounds and a plethora of spices from the new oak all swirl up to meet you in joyous harmony. It’s exceptional stuff that needs a meal of comparable richness and concentration. Think something extremely slow cooked…