Vieux Château Certan
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
The 2019 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 23 after light showers the previous day. "We dared to add some Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, which gives complexity," Alexandre Thienpont remarks, "but the Cabernet was 'killed' in 2020." It has a much more discrete bouquet than the 2018, unfolding with truffle-tinged black fruit. There are fewer marmalade scents than I noticed a couple of years ago, but there is absolutely stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, like a cousin of the superlative 2016 in many ways, but it may be silkier towards the finish. Elegant yet paradoxically intense, this is VCC at full flight. And it's only on its opening pages! Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
The 2019 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 23 after light showers the previous day. "We dared to add some Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, which gives complexity," Alexandre Thienpont remarks, "but the Cabernet was 'killed' in 2020." It has a much more discrete bouquet than the 2018, unfolding with truffle-tinged black fruit. There are fewer marmalade scents than I noticed a couple of years ago, but there is absolutely stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, like a cousin of the superlative 2016 in many ways, but it may be silkier towards the finish. Elegant yet paradoxically intense, this is VCC at full flight. And it's only on its opening pages! Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)