Community Tasting Notes 19

• Rote Kappelle Does not like this wine: 93 points

  August 19, 2023 - This wine, which I dislike intensely, has the great virtue of raising that question 'What is great wine?'
  
  I think the first answer is great wine is whatever gives you lots of pleasure. If you try it and love it, then it is great wine. Wine is ephemeral, it is about the senses, it is, ultimately just fermented grape juice. It is about pleasure. On that basis, I have no issue with considering this to be great wine. It is a joyous, vinous tour de force. It has muscle, it has layers of succulent fruit and beautifully handled oak. It has a long finish, intensity and there can be no question about the quality of all the components. So, if you have tried this and adore it, I can't argue.
  
  But another answer might be that great wine speaks of its time and place, the grapes of which it is made and in which the winemaker uses their craft to support the wine in expressing itself, not the winemaker. Using that criteria, this wine is awful. Not awful because it is poor quality, but awful because it does not in any way resemble its region, its grape varieties or the style of classical right bank Bordeaux. The winemaking overwhelms rather than allowing the characters of the grapes, region and style to speak.
  
  A friend of mine with a wonderful palate was served this blind. I think his comments say it all:
  
  "I’m finding your red very compelling, despite things I don’t subscribe to such as the creamy/deli meat oak. It’s complete and moreish. Good line, length and vibrancy.
  
  I’m torn between Nthn Rhone bandits who like their maidens in oak, or your mates at Bekkers. But neither quite fits. Hmmm…"
  
  If I served him a Bordeaux that was regional and varietal, he would spot it every time. He is spot on in wondering if this is a Shiraz. This is why I do not like this wine at all.
  
  Tertre Roteboeuf make very good wines, but this is 'St Emilion has a love child by Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet' and it was the 707 genes that dominated in the offspring. I am perfectly happy to drink Australian Cabernet, including the Penfolds types, if that is what my mood that day takes me to, but I am not at all happy opening a right bank Bordeaux and getting an Australian red bounding out and bawling 'Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie! Oi! Oi! Oi!' I can't even turn one of those 'oi's' into a 'oui'.
  
  Such is wine. This is Glenn Gould reviewed by Seymour Bernstein, except that whilst I like a lot of what Gould said (especially about later Mozart) but dislike his playing, I don't really like what this wine says or how it plays.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 points

  October 17, 2021 - Wow didnt expect this to be so vibrant, pungent and expressive. Truffle, red currant, perfume, and wild herbs. This is going to be marvellous when its fully mature.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• gouldcampbell77 wrote: 89 points

  February 22, 2021 - Not sure about this, the last of my two bottles. It's dark, weighty, heavily oaked and while there's no denying the concentration of the fruit and the overall quality but it's just not that much fun. Heavy going.

  Comment

• Christoph4204 wrote: 95 points

  August 27, 2020 - Simply stunning wine! From the nose till the finish! Wow!!!!!

  Comment

• FastTrack wrote: 95 points

  June 13, 2020 - Just echoing Jeff L’s comment. Outstanding wine!

  Comment

Pro Reviews 8

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2008
• Type Red
• Producer Tertre Rôteboeuf
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Bordeaux
• SubRegion Libournais
• Appellation St. Émilion Grand Cru

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 24 (4%)
• In Cellars 472 (75%)
• Consumed 136 (22%)

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