news
LE TERTRE DE SARPE, NEXT-GENERATION WINEMAKERS
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL SEMIFINALIST PLACE THAT LE TERTRE DE SARPE HAS WON AT THE 2015 SAINT-EMILION COUPE DES CRUS.
This second wine of Vieux Château Pelletan seduced the jury of the Cup during Vinexpo Bordeaux. A nice encouragement for its young winemaker Romain Magnaudeix.
LE TERTRE DE SARPE, A WINE OF PLEASURE
Almost thirty years, Romain Magnaudeix is already an experienced winemaker. Since 2007 he has been responsible for the winemakingprocess at his family’s estate. With Le Tertre de Sarpe, the young man develops a wine of pleasure: “I’m not too fond of wine loaded with tannins. With meals, I find that it is often the most delicate wines go better”.
Le Tertre de Sarpe is a wine like this, which can be drunk within the first 5/7 years. The winemaker says he loves “fine wines. I like its little coffee and vanilla flavors, with a slight hint of fruit, it is set towards that style”. For this, the terroir is ideal. Clayey, clay-limestone and sand-clay, it allows full expression of the Merlot, dominant in the Tertre de Sarpe.
SURROUNDING YOURSELF TO PROGRESS
To explain the course of the Tertre de Sarpe at the Coupe des Crus, the winemaker emphasizes the importance of his entourage: “We are a small family business, we are all involved in it”. With a degree in oenology and viticulture, Romain Magnaudeix gets support from his father and his grandfather’s legacy. The young man says he received from them “everything that is not taught in school”.
Romain Magnaudeix also salutes the Chambre d’Agriculture de la Gironde which supports the family in their logical farming. A wine-expert board also supports them with the grape harvest and winemaking, “we sometimes head to the grindstone, it is interesting to have external advice. This is how we manage to achieve consistency”.
THE 2010, 2011 AND 2012 TERTRE DE SARPE VINTAGES
In Saint-Emilion the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 followed each other but were not similar. 2010 and 2011, in particular, were extraordinary. In 2010, high degrees of alcohol were coupled with a lot of tannins. Winemaking was difficult but the result was exceptional: “These are wines with great complexity, power and a rich aroma”. The following year, 2011, was “a vintage that lacked a bit of acidity,
it took a lot to protect the level of oxygen”. Challenge won, Romain Magnaudeix says he likes these 2011 very much, “very fine wines, very elegant and currently easy to drink”. Finally, the 2012 vintage is characterized by a very explosive fruit, with force and finesse, an instant wine but which will also be “good to keep”. Three vintages of the Tertre Sarpe to discover, for three different tasting pleasures.