2018 du Tertre
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Juicy, ripe. Cherry fruit. Very flattering but animal nose. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Château du Tertre, this estate sold by the Jelgersmar family during my tastings, has an intense bouquet of iris and pencil lead aromas infusing the black fruit, and a touch of ash in the background. I like the chutzpah here. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry, quite firm and earthy, with just a little dryness on the graphite-tinged finish. This is decent du Tertre that just needs to muster a touch more finesse in bottle.
The 2018 Château Du Tertre is solid, offering an attractive bouquet of red and black fruits, vanilla bean, dried flowers, balsam (which I always seem to find in this wine), and sandalwood. It's beautifully complex, has medium-bodied richness, moderate tannins, and a forward, charming, already delicious style that's ideal for enjoying over the coming 15 years.
Just as it was from barrel, the 2018 du Tertre is a powerful, virile wine. Game, scorched earth, incense, savory herbs, licorice and tobacco lend a distinctive aromatic profile. On the palate, the 2018 comes across as a bit compact, but otherwise it is nicely done.
About the producer
Until recently owned by the Albada Jelgersma family (along with Giscours), Ch. du Tertre is one of the oldest estates in the region – with a history stretching back 1,000 years. Classified as a Fifth Growth, its 54 hectares of vines sit on high gravel outcrops in Margaux.