Eric Kememes

8.9

Budget sauv that rules high toned crowded pleaser — 2 months ago

Paul J

9.6

1hr+ decant. Maroon color on the pour but darkish red in the glass. Aged Bordeaux on the nose with cedar and floral elements. Palate reflects the same with dark cherries, tobacco, and anise. Medium plus depth and medium finish. Right in my wheelhouse! — 2 months ago

with Brooke

Doug Powers

9.7

Tight, backwards, and structured, dark berry, garrigue, deeply-flavored and very complex, long, lingering finish, drinking well now, but has the stuffing to easily go another 10-15 years, a great Vieux Donjon!! — 3 months ago

with Jim

Joe Weinberger

9.6

For my palate, exactly where I would want an aged CdP to be. Still has fruit and grip, but with secondary elements supporting and adding complexity. Really fantastic. — 7 months ago

Herb Listen

9.6

Love this wine. Had in Bora Bora — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three hours. The 2022 “Les Vieux Clos” pours a light golden color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with white tree flowers, mandarine oranges, ginger, lanolin and just a touch mousy. On the palate, the wine is slightly off-dry with high acid that’s balanced by the unquestionable quality of the fruit. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, wooly and rich. The alcohol is medium+ but should be at all be surprised? Say what you want about Joly’s methods; his wines are never boring. I, for one, adore them. Drink now through 2032 easy. — 3 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2014 vintage. — 2 months ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.2

Pastille & pennies. It takes a true bad ass to make just one single wine vintage after vintage. Respect. — 2 months ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

On the tail end of its prime window, but still hitting. Like a mealy yellow apple, not quite browned. Has cider notes but plenty of acid in the mouth for vibrancy. Laser lemon cleaner with toasted oak becomes candied kumquat and sweet clementine.

Theres a lot of beautiful weight and texture and raw power that comes out to play as you let it warm. — 3 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

The 2005 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 12 after cool nights had led to a slow accretion of concentration. "There was a lot of drought in 2005," Alexandre Thienpont recalls, "and it was a season a bit like 1982." This has a winsome bouquet, more powerful than the preceding 2004, as you would expect, laden with predominantly red fruit laced with anise and wilted rose petals. Impressive delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, fresh and sapid in style, more open than the bottle tasted four years earlier. It veers towards a more savory finish. Subtle, ferrous, almost meaty notes lend complexity and typicité. Persistent on the aftertaste, this is a VCC that is just getting going. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 3 months ago