The Mitjavile Portfolio, 2019
Two years seem to have passed since my last micro-update on the wines of François Mitjavile including, of course, Château Tertre-Roteboeuf. This is a must-visit domaine, and I always ensure I call here when in Bordeaux, whether it be during the annual week of self-inflicted pain known as the primeurs, or perhaps for a visit later in the year to check out the most recently bottled vintage. Given that François is always ready to have you taste other vintages, standing by to dip his pipette into a barrel to check out whatever vintage of Château Tertre-Roteboeuf is currently in élevage, or to pull the corks on older vintages of Tertre-Roteboeuf and Roc de Cambes (and occasionally also his son’s wine L’Aurage) I am at a loss to explain why so long has passed between updates. Especially as last year I slipped in an extra visit to the region, in May.
On this occasion I was here to taste the wines of the 2018 vintage, during the primeur tastings back in April 2019. Once done, François and I looked back just one year, to check out the 2017 vintage together.
The Wines
The 2017 vintage in Bordeaux was blighted with frost, but the vines of Château Tertre-Roteboeuf have enviable natural protection. The vineyard is situated on a steep slope running from the family residence down to the sandy plain, facilitating the movement of cold air away from the vines. There was absolutely no frost damage here, and so François and family were able to make the most of the fine growing season that followed. Theirs was a very different vintage to that endured by some winemakers down in the valley, where frost ravaged the vineyards, slashing yields, reducing some estates to a production of just a few thousand bottles, in some cases of questionable quality.
