Chateau du Tertre Margaux Bordeaux Wine

Chateau Du Tertre, Margaux Fifth Growth, Bordeaux wine producer profile, with wine tasting notes, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on wine making and terroir, along with wine tasting reviews. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

The Bordeaux wine property found the inspiration for its name from its location. Du Tertre is situated on the tertre. Tertre in French means hillock or “rising ground, which is where the estate is located. With a history dating back to 1143, du Tertre is one of the oldest properties in the Left Bank of Bordeaux.

Le Tertre passed through the ownership of the Arrérac family and Marquis de Ségur until the 1855 classification. At that time, Charles Henri was the owner. Le Tertre, which was popular in the Dutch market. In 1870, it was sold to Henri de Koenigswarter. The name was changed from Le Tertre to du Tertre.

By World War II the reputation and production of Chateau du Tertre had declined. In 1961 Château du Tertre was acquired by Philippe Gasqueton. Gasqueton replanted their Margaux vineyards as well as the original chateau. Gasqueton was able to do this with the help and backing of Belgian business partners.  Following Gasqueton’s death in 1995, his widow sold the property to Eric and Louise Albada Jelgersma. The Jelgersma family was already known in Bordeaux, as they were the owners of another Margaux property, Chateau Giscours.

The 80 hectare vineyard of Chateau du Tertre’s vineyard is planted on one large single block, with 52 hectares under vine. This is one of the largest single blocks in Margaux as well as in all of the Medoc. The vineyard is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. This new vineyard cepage shows more Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but less Cabernet Franc. On average, the vines average 40 years of age. The estate also has vines that are 65 years of age. Chateau du Tertre has the unique distinction of being one of the few 1855 Classified growths with a vineyard that has not changed in size since the original 1855 Classification.

For the vinification of Chateau du Tertre, the wines are vinified in a combination of wood and concrete vats that range in size from 10 hectoliters up to 180 hectoliters, which allows for true, parcel by parcel vinification.
The thermoregulated vats are filled by gravity. du Tertre vinifies on a parcel by parcel basis at temperatures ranging from 25° to 30° Celcius. Chateau du Tertre was one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using the cement Nomblot egg shaped, cement vats. The estate uses 5 egg shaped vats in total. These vats add more minerality to the wine. Maloactic fermentation takes place in a combination of French oak barrels and vats with 2/5 aging in barrel and 3/5 aging in concrete vats. Chateau du Tertre spends on average 18 months in 50% new oak and is lightly fined with egg whites. The property produced a second wine,  Les Hauts de Tertre.

Since 2000, the team at Chateau du Tertre has been making all the right moves to improve the quality in the wines. 2009 and 2010 remain the best vintages of du Tertre I have tasted.

http://www.chateaudutertre.fr/