Tertre-Rôteboeuf lies 2km south-east of Saint-Émilion on a very special, peninsular extension of the slope which houses Châteaux Pavie and Larcis-Ducasse. This extends to a hillock, the hauts de côte, with the slopes beneath, pleines côtes, which emcompasses the lieu dit Rôteboeuf. A mere 6 hectares in size, the rise to fame of Tertre Rôteboeuf, from relative obscurity, has been dramatic. Even without a grand cru classé title, it is one of Saint-Émilion’s cult wines. This turnaround has been spearheaded by a unique individual, François Mitjavile, aided and abetted by his wife Miloute and, increasingly, his son and daughter Louis and Nina.

At the time of their marriage in the early seventies, François was working for his family company in Paris while Miloute was working for the acclaimed photographic agency, Viva. The newlyweds had the good fortune of having a regular escape route from the buzz of Parisian life from time to time – visiting Miloute’s cousin in Bordeaux at Château Bellefond-Bercier, along with her father who also resided in the Saint-Émilion region until his death in 1961. During this period, Le Tertre was owned by Miloute’s father who rented it out to the cousins and its vineyard's production was vinified with their wine.

When listening to François, it is clear he is a hugely intelligent individual with a rich vocabulary who, despite trying to become a corporate man in Paris, is not one for conformity. So, ignoring some boring little practical details, François and Miloute elected to take on Le Tertre vineyard and leave their city lifestyle behind. At this point, they knew nothing about viticulture or vinification, money was scarce and there was no cellar, winemaking paraphernalia or even barrels at the property – minor inconveniences. Their new venture began with a lengthy two-year stage at Château Figeac where François learnt the practical side of the vineyard and cellar. Château Le Tertre was then returned to family control after the 1977 vintage.

To the casual observer, the Bordelais, who are fiercely proud of their identity, exercise an almost cussed lack of imagination when it comes to property names, resulting in a confusing array of wines bearing the same title, regardless of appellation or quality – further confusion for the hapless consumer. Wisely, François and Miloute decided to differentiate themselves from the other Tertres by adding Rôteboeuf (literally translating as belching ox) to the name, alluding to the cattle which used to graze the land. This addition also reflects the different slopes of the property – Rôteboeuf for the lower slopes and Tertre for those higher up, surrounding the house and garden.  Finally, Château Le Tertre-Rôteboeuf was en route. There was a name, a vineyard, a base of experience on which to build and a potentially lovely house, with inspirational views over the Dordogne and across to the Entre Deux Mers.