Five Vintages of Château du Tertre, May 2018
Following a flying visit to Château Giscours, in the company of Didier Forêt, I hotfooted it around the corner to Château du Tertre. Here I met up with technical director Frédéric Ardouin, for a similarly informative tour of the vineyards, the cellars, and a tasting of a handful of recent vintages.
The estate’s origins are ancient, as is typical of a number of cru classé châteaux in the Margaux appellation. Its story began in the 12th century when this land was in the possession of Thomas de Montaigne. It passed through the hands of a number of noble, wealthy or in some way notable individuals, including Pierre Mitchell (1687 – 1740), an industrialist of Irish birth who was the first to manufacture glass in the region, and the Koenigswarters, a family of bankers closely associated with Emperor Napoleon III (1808 – 1873). By the end of the 20th century the proprietors were none other than the Capbern-Gasqueton clan, who also owned Château Calon-Ségur of course, who sold it in 1997 to the late Eric Albada Jelgersma.
Today this estate remains in the hands of the Jelgersma family, although running the show on a day-to-day basis is Alexander van Beek, who has assistance from a large team. This includes, of course, the aforementioned technical director Frédéric Ardouin.
The Estate Today
Frédéric Ardouin (pictured) and I took a walk out in the vines to better appreciate the estate’s topography and terroir. The vineyard today covers 52 hectares of the appellation, the parcels which constitute this extensive vineyard exactly those which belonged to the estate when it was classified in 1855. It occupies the highest point in the Margaux appellation, although this is not really apparent to the eye when driving or walking around the estate. The château itself does stand on a high point above some of its vines, and the road below, but it is hardly Mount Everest. The terroir is of course typical of the region, comprising some very well-drained gravelly soils.
