Chateau du Tertre

Newstime：2009-08-25 06:26:18 Befrom： Writer：

History

In the south-western reaches of Margaux is Le Grand Poujeau, a large gravel plateau which peaks at just over 20m above sea level. The vines here belong to several well known Margaux chateaux, including Giscours and d'Angludet, but many of them are owned by Chateau du Tertre. Indeed, tertre refers to a hillock or knoll, and this is the origin of this estate's name.
Although the chateau at du Tertre dates only from the 18th Century, the origins of the estate are ancient, as it once belonged to the Seigneur d'Arsac. This is one of the oldest of the Médoc's noble families, very early records revealing the presence of a Guillaume Guiral d' Arsac in 1143. The family, which was allied to the English during the Hundred Years War, had a stronghold at Arsac, which was held by Guillaume Guiral's descendents until the 16th Century. At this time the current Seigneur d'Arsac had two daughters, Jacquette and Marguerite; Jacquette married Michel Montaigne, and it was Michel's brother Thomas de Montaigne that assumed the title of Seigneur d'Arsac. The original Arsac stronghold was destroyed during the Revolution, but subsequently rebuilt, and is what we now know as Chateau d'Arsac, the Margaux cru bourgeois estate. What became the Chateau du Tertre of today was brought into the seigneur by the Montaigne family.
In the century that followed, the estate subsequently passed to the Arrérac family before coming into the ownership of the Marquis de Ségur. During this period in Bordeaux's history the Ségur family amassed a huge property portfolio, including many Cru Classé and Cru Bourgeois estates of the future; their holdings extended north into St Estèphe (Phelan-Ségur being an obvious example) and south into Margaux as well. At the time of the 1855 classification, however, in which Chateau du Tertre was ranked as a fifth growth, it was in the hands of Charles Henri, although he subsequently sold it on to Henri de Koenigswarter.

Through the latter 19th and early 20th Century, the sequence of phylloxera, worldwide economic depression and war had the usual effects at du Tertre. Hope came when the derelict property was purchased by the Gasqueton family, who already owned another ex-Ségur property in the shape of Calon-Ségur, in 1961. There was dramatic investment and certainly an improvement in the wines was reported, but although satisfactory they never established a thrilling reputation. For that to happen another change of ownership was required, and following Gasqueton's death in 1995 the estate was sold by his widow to Eric and Louise Albada Jelgersma in 1997, businessmen of Dutch origin, owner of the S.A.E. Chateua Giscours since 1995.It is under the tenure of Jelgersma, with assistance from manager Alexander van Beek that the wines of du Tertre (and Giscours, which is just next-door) have really taken off; success at the latter estate has admittedly been tainted a little by an oak scandal, but there have never been any such concerns at du Tertre.
Nowadays’ Owner: Eric Albada Jelgersma
Technique Information
Location: Château du Tertre is situated just outside the village of Ambrières-les- Vallées, on the main Caen-Laval road.
Appellation: Appellation Margaux Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Brane-Cantenac(2nd Growth of Margaux in1855)
Chateau Giscours(3rd Growth of Margaux in1855)
Chateau Cantenac-Brown(3rd Growth of Margaux in1855)
Acreage: Atop its single block of eighty hectares (around 198 acres), Château du Tertre looks out over fifty two hectares (128 acres) of superbly exposed vines.

Remarkably, this is one of the rare estates which cover the same surface area of vineyard as at the time of the 1855 classification.
Soil: Perfectly drained gravelly crops from 3 to 5 meters.
Grape Varieties: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot
Average age of vines: 40 years
Cultivation Density:
Viticulture: To get high quality grapes, the men of Château du Tertre make sure that the yield of each vine plant is kept low. Traditional ploughing of the soil, Double Guyot pruning technique, de-leafing, and crop thinning. The grapes are always picked by hand; these are collected and taken to the cellar in small crates. So they undergo a second, severe sorting to select only the very best grapes for the top wine.
Winemaking: Fermented in traditional wooden vats with temperature control. Maceration of 2 to 3 weeks. Racking every three months, egg white fining.18 months in oak barrels (50% new).
Yield:
Brand: Chateau du Tertre(First Label)(A.O.C. Margaux)
Les Hauts du Tertre(Second Label)(A.O.C. Margaux)
Annually production: 294,000 bottles
Character:
Chateau du Tertre(First Label): Its wines, which show great finesse, are outstanding for their lovely colour and their perfumed aroma. With a deep, crimson red colour, this wine has a nose dominated by blackcurrant and hints of very fine wood, on vanilla. The mouth is suave, balanced well, with a long finish.
Les Hauts du Tertre(Second Label): The wine form Les Hauts du Tertre combines all power of the premium wine (5th Grand Cru Classe in 1855) with the finesse and harmony of the great Margaux wines. The nose reveals a predominance of aromas of red berries and tobacco. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied but remarkably subtle, with a delicate, velvety fruitiness overlying aromas of plum and black cherry. The finish is fine and slightly woody.

This second wine from Chateau du Tertre is a sure fine Margaux, typical of its appellation, with a remarkably consistent quality recognized by all wine-lovers.
Best Vintages: Chateau du Tertre(First Label): 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005
Awards: 5th Grand Cru Classe in 1855 Margaux.
Website: http://www.chateaudutertre.fr
Serving Suggestion
Chateau du Tertre(First Label):
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 70-95%, 14-18 ℃
Serving Temperature: 18 °C
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential: 10-20 years
Food match:
Western Food: This could accompany with roasted duck, lamb steak, braised chicken with red wine sauce.
Les Hauts du Tertre(Second Label) :
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 70-95%, 14-18 ℃
Serving Temperature: 16/18℃-60/65℉
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential:
Food match:
Western Food: Fried sweetbreads in balsam vinegar with caramelized baby onions; Salmis of pigeon…

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