Chateau du Tertre found the inspiration for its name from its location, as it is situated on a tertre, which means hillock or rising ground in French. The estate is located on one of the highest and most beautiful gravelly rises in the Margaux appellation. Its history dates back to 1143, which makes Château du Tertre one of the oldest properties on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.

The chateau itself was built in 1724 by Pierre Mitchell, an important Irish negociant who had fallen in love with the Bordeaux region and its wines. Mitchell owned la “Verrerie Royale de Bordeaux”, an important glassworks factory. He is the creator of the shape of the Bordeaux bottle and also of the Jeroboam. Prior to Mitchell’s innovation, wine bottles where not of a uniformed size and shape and were very difficult to store, stack and transport. By making the body of the bottles cylindrical and uniform, it revolutionised distribution and storage completely.

Chateau du Tertre occupy 52 hectares of land around the village of Arsac just south of Margaux. The vineyards are planted to 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon is the major grape variety, endowing the wine with structure and concentration. Renowned for its roundness and suppleness, Merlot brings its silkiness to the final blending. Cabernet Franc lends its distinctive, rich bouquet of spicy notes. Later to mature, the Petit Verdot completes this range of aromas. The Chateau du Tertre fifth growth Grand Cru Classe reflects the very soul of this exceptional terroir. Barrel ageing is kept to a dominance of old oak used with a maximum of 45% new wood. This contributes to the fine elegance that du Tertre consistently achieves year on year.

Although drinking well now, a decade since the vintage, it has many more years left in its development and will continue to reward in greater depth in another decade.