France

Vieux Chateau Certan

Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol

Bordeaux

Pomerol

A blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc, Vieux Chateau Certan 2023 has a pH of 3.74 and it is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of fresh blackberries, juicy plums, and black cherries slowly emerge from the glass, opening out to fragrant notes of violets, star anise, and black truffles, followed by wafts of wood smoke and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is taut and muscular with firm, rounded tannins and seamless acidity, finishing with many, many layers of earth, spice, and floral notes. This is pure latent power.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Fresh floral heights to the aromatics, then dark berry fruits and a core of muscles of the palate, classically-weighted with grip and texture, white pepper spice and salted cracker salinity on the finish. Stretches out through the palate, feels gloriously old school, full of hidden depths and pleasures. 43hl/h yield, harvest September 18 through to 29. Youngest vines here are 1988, which helps give the complexity that is so celebrated at VCC.

Inside Bordeaux

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

2022 (barrel sample)

Aroma av jordbær, hylleblomst, perfyme, plomme, blåbær, søt lakris, vanilje, sjokolade,

Dette var noe helt spesielt, finesse og presisjon ut av en annen verden. 

Vertikalt ved siden av 2016 er 2022 mye mer rød frukt dreven og en litt mindre robust tanninstruktur.

Poeng 99-100

WSET 2

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.

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.

Nuanced, layered and elegant, still youthful but with plenty of stuffing, darker fruit, blackberry, cassis, violet, truffle and fine oak derived spiciness. The palate combines richness, density and vigour with elegance and finesse, supple dark fruit, fine spice and powdery tannin, nuanced and complex with tremendous length and polished finish. A good definition of a very complete wine!

Sommelier

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. 

Aroma av blåbær, pepper, anise, vanilje, syltetøy, barnål, jordlig, blåbær, 

Bra konsentrasjon, fin tanninstruktur, balanse, litt alkohol touch, kompleks, 

Veldig utradisjonell 2017, oppleves som en napa cab, servert blindt, 

Poeng 94

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.

Well judged, a more serious Pomerol than many, so subtle and beguiling in its construction, truffles, white pepper, cranberry, smoked earth, violet flowers, attractive floral edge and this is just gorgeous, grilled and wrapped up in caressing VCC tannins, with an intellectual edge, or rather an edge that keeps you engaged and wanting more.

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.

2023	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2022	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2021	No priceNot available	Outstanding
2020	kr 3 852,40Not available	Extraordinary
2019	kr 2 832,90Not available	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Vieux Chateau Certan
Vintages	2023
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pomerol
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
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Sugar	g/l

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