France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Vieux Chateau Certan

Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol

Bordeaux

Pomerol

Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Vieux Chateau Certan is composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the youngest vines being 41 years old and the oldest 80 years old.  The nose is shut tight to begin, needing a lot of air to call forth beguiling scents of rose oil, sandalwood, star anise, and black truffles - to begin - giving way to a profound core of plum preserves, blueberry compote, boysenberries, and molten chocolate with a fleeting waft of vanilla pod and sassafras. The full-bodied palate is fantastically structured, with very firm yet very fine, smooth tannins and amazing tension supporting the dense, multilayered fruit, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of mineral and floral notes. This is superb.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Pure and intense with high ripeness yet with the notion of fresh dark berries, black cherry, cassis, violet and finely tuned oak already well integrated. Excellent density and vigour with powerful and concentrated fruit with a millefeuille of very ripe and silky tannin adding freshness leading to a very long and persistent finish with great purity and nuance.

Sommelier

Tension, structure, complexity, waves of violet, rose petals and slate A serious VCC with tension and poise, this inches open to show graphite, pencil lead and sweet raspberry, blueberry and savoury cassis bud, almost an edge of petrol, elegant and balanced, and with a personality that is going to power through the decades. 50% new oak.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple colored. Swans out of the glass with gregarious notes of Morello cherries, juicy blackberries, and fresh raspberries, plus hints of lilac, pencil lead, and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers a sturdy structure of ripe, rounded tannins with seamless freshness and bags of red and black berry flavors, finishing with great length and plenty of minerally sparks.

Ruby red. Delicate and velvety nose with violets, cherries, blueberries, herbs, licorice and exotic spice. Fresh acidity. Blackberries, blueberries, anise, licorice , salinity and spice. Smooth polished tannins. Very long. 96-98p

Drink from 2035-2070

The blend is:
82% Merlot
18% Cabernet Franc

Just so nice and elegant. Can't wait to taste it again 😊

Expert

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with a yield of 35 hl/ha, the 2022 Vieux Chateau Certan is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries, and juicy black plums rocket out of the glass, followed by suggestions of star anise, lilacs, rose oil, and truffles with a waft of fertile loam. The full-bodied palate slowly grows in the mouth with layers of emerging mineral, floral, and exotic spice nuances intertwined with concentrated black fruits, supported by super-plush tannins and perfectly knit freshness, culminating in a very long-lasting firework display of floral and spice notes. pH 3.78.

Skilful winemaking, with fragrant curling aromatics, gunsmoke, cigar. This is a year for taking the pleasure in aromatics, so make sure you give it time to open up, as there is a lovely structure here that curls around red roses, raspberry puree, full of joy. No chaptilisation, very light fining. 65% new oak, 3.63ph. Harvest September 24 to October 6.

The 2019 Vieux Chateau Certan, composed of 78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. Quite closed to start, it slowly reveals hints of plum pudding, blackberry preserves, and boysenberries with suggestions of Indian spices, mocha, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is fantastically layered, rich, and hedonic, with velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and decadent.

Vieux Chateau Certan 2018 has a deep garnet purple color. It needs swirling to unlock scents of baked black cherries, mulberries, and smoked meats, with underlying hints of redcurrants, violets, and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is very nuanced, with a lively backbone and super-fine tannins, and is long, long, long. 

Sødmefulle sorte bær, varme solbær, sorte bjørnebær, vanilje, noe jordlig toner, men av det balanserte. 

Usedvanlig varm til 2017 å være, noe jeg sjeldent har vært borti. 

Smak av sorte og røde bær. Varm, konsentrert frukt. Tatt og balansert. Veldig forvirret over fruktstilen opp mot årgangen, derimot så var det helt nydelig. 

94-95p.

Røde mørke bær, en lekker smokeyness, hvit pepper, mineralitet og sopp. En sylskarp skarp balanse. Noe pene grønne florale toner, men av det nydelige.

Smak av konsentrerte bjørnebær og lyse konsentrerte plommer, lys kaffe og anis. En lekker harmoni i vinen, hvor konsentrasjonen er helt latterlig. Perfekte 2016- tanniner, hvor syren spiller veldig fint inn.

Smakt hos Vieux Chateau Certan.

Understated brilliance, with restraint shown in its precisely carved cassis and bilberry fruit on the opening, softening through the mid palate to show creamier raspberry and damson fruit, with black truffles and cocoa bean delivering the Pomerol caress. Expert construction, tannic architecture fully in focus but overlaid with the succulence of the vintage, such a good wine that has decades of it. . 50% new oak for ageing. Alexandre Thienpont owner.

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Vieux Chateau Certan is a little shy to start, offering up faint notes of candied violets and licorice opening out to a core of preserved plums and Christmas cake plus a waft of sandalwood. The  full-bodied palate delivers a refreshing backbone and fine-grained tannins to support the taut, powerful black fruits, finishing long and earthy.

The 2013 Vieux Chateau Certan has a medium garnet color, with a touch of brick. The nose opens with notions of prunes, raisin cake, and dried herbs, giving way to hints of leather and incense. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good amount of mature fruit, with chewy tannins and a firm, earthy finish.

Tasted at the Duquesne club in Pittsburgh during a wonderful event to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Still young at 13 years old, but the tannins are beginning to melt into the raspberry and redcurrant fruits, and the violet aromatics that you can spend years searching for in Pomerol uncurl out of the glass with barely a coaxing. Fine but plentiful tannins suggest this has decades ahead of it. Particularly special because George Thienpont bought the estate in 1924, meaning that next year in 2024 they are celebrating their 100th anniversary in the family. 50% new oak.

Amatør

High floral and gunsmoke aromatics, this is intense and concentrated. Where the 2009 has more immediately appeal, this 2010 is clearly going to deliver over the decades. Coiled and reserved tannins, a ton of texture and powerful black fruits, precise and poised, this is exception.

Rich and deep plum in colour, still with a vibrant reflection. This is right at the top tier of the 2009s, juicy and controlled, capturing appellation typicty in the soft waves of grilled caramel without being sweet or heavy, opens to waves of violet and tomato leaf, sculpted, juicy, delicious.

I've found a number of 2000s finally overtaking the 2001s this year, after a long time when the 2001 vintage was clearly showing better. But there are still moments when 2001 reigns, and this Vieux Château Certan is a case in point. Slowly unrolls, gathering in power as it goes, blackberry, damson and raspberry fruits, together with truffle, toasted almonds, tobacco leaf, ash. A great moment to open and enjoy this wine, made for sharing.

Første flaske korket. Flaske nr 2; rett fra flasken, en del brett, mørke plommer, blyantspiss, noe søtlig tobakkspreg. Fin nese. I munnen flott anslag med klar rød frukt mot røde plommer og noe jordbær. Bra struktur, kjølig frukt, stram, fin syre. Presis. medium tanniner, finkornede. Medium pluss lengde. Etter 4t i åpen flaske; blåbær, noe rød paprika. I munnen, ganske stram, ren frukt, ikke like mye fruktsødme som i 86. Strukturert.

Rich, smoky, soft brambled fruits, grilled cedar and white truffles. A very pretty wine, slippery-smooth tannins, easy to love. Fully in its tertiary window, but with charm and lift. Léon Thienpont - father of current owner Alexandre and son of original purchaser Georges Thienpont - was completing his first vintage in 1966. Notable for including Malbec, which was more typical in the vines of Pomerol at the time.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Vieux Chateau Certan
Vintages	2020
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pomerol
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	14.5 %
Acid	%
Sugar	< 3 g/l

Packaging	Glass
Cork type
Selection	Spesialutvalg
Wholesaler	Hans A. Flaaten
Carrier	Skanlog AS