The 2021 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is François Mitjavile's deliberate embrace of the vintage's naturally more evolved style, a decision he enacted by keeping his chai at a warmer 17 degrees Celsius throughout the year to accelerate evolution. William Kelley at the Wine Advocate awarded 92, describing the result as 'a rather wild, carnal 2021 Le Tertre Roteboeuf that mingles the estate's signatures of rich dark fruits, espresso roast and exotic spices with more savory suggestions of saddle leather and smoked meats.' Kelley noted that he tends to love Tertre Roteboeuf more in cooler, structured vintages, though the 2021 has its own particular character.

The 2021 Saint-Emilion vintage was warm, delivering wines of good natural ripeness across the appellation, though Mitjavile's exaggeration of the vintage's evolved character produced a more immediately accessible and hedonistic expression than the structured, long-ageing wines of 2020 or 2022. At 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 reflects the estate's typical blend but in a vintage whose natural evolution Mitjavile chose to amplify rather than restrain.

Le Tertre Roteboeuf's 100% new oak ageing and Mitjavile's uncompromising philosophy of producing wines that express his personal aesthetic rather than an attempt at vintage orthodoxy mean that the 2021 is genuinely idiosyncratic: a wine that divides critics between those who find its animal, carnal character compelling and those who prefer the more classically structured releases. For buyers who appreciate Mitjavile's unique voice, the 2021 offers an interesting window into his decision-making in a warmer, more accessible year.

Drink from 2026 to 2038. Decant two hours before service and pair with roasted game bird, strong aged cheese or porcini-rich preparations.