Vieux Château Certan 2018

Some of the most complex, elegant, and richly perfumed wine from Pomerol is made at Château Vieux Château Certan.   This property is, without a doubt, one of the crown jewels here and as a result it fetches a high price in today’s marketplace.  Château Vieux Château Certain hosts some of the best terroir as it sits on the Pomerol plateau.  It has its fair share of famous neighbors, such as Château Pétrus, and though critics such as Robert Parker Jr compare the two producers as equal in quality, they could not be more different in style.  Because of the higher percentages of Cabernet Franc, the wine of Château Vieux Château Certan is lengthy, profound, and some of the finest wine the region has to offer. 

Château Vieux Château Certan hosts one of the oldest histories in the entire region.  It dates to the 1700s where it was founded by Jean Demay de Certain who was well known for his work in the Bordeaux wine trade.  The original château was constructed closer to 1770 and after the French Revolution, the land was divided many times.  In early years, Château Vieux Château Certain was considered the best wine in Pomerol, yet shortly after World War II the estate diminished in popularity due to the meteoric rise of Château Pétrus.  As time passed, the estate was acquired by Georges Thienpont in 1924 and thus it began its spectacular rebound. 

You may have heard of the Thienpont name in association with another Pomerol giant – the iconic cult producer Le Pin, which is run by Georges Theinpont’s grandson, Jacques Theinpont.  The Theinponts have a rich legacy within the wine trade and more specifically with some of the top estates in the Right Bank, such as Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion they once owned.  There is a common philosophy within the Thienpont family, which is that great winemaking is about as little intervention as possible.  They are a true family of vignerons who believe most of the work is done in the vineyard.  Guillaume Theinpont currently runs Château Vieux Château Certan and the property is without a doubt the pride and joy of the Thienpont family. 

Château Vieux Château Certan has some of the oldest vines in Pomerol, more specifically Merlot vines that date back to 1932.  Here, varietals like Merlot and Cabernet Franc are all planted in a single block and the soil mostly consists of rich clay with gravel deposits.  The Merlot thrives in this deep clay that helps the vines absorb the water and nutrients they need.  The wine is vinified using minimal intervention in oak vats, resulting in full bodied wines that are effortless to drink at the same time.  It is incredibly age worthy and offers chocolate aromas with rich blackberry and plum.  Though Château Vieux Château Certan produces consistent wine that is a true knockout in terms of quality, the ratio of Cabernet Franc switches depending on the vintages. Because of this, Château Vieux Château Certan is a fun producer to follow throughout the years – as no two vintages are truly alike in personality.

"The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with 14.4% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at this youthful stage, requiring a lot of patient swirling to release a profound powerhouse of a perfume: preserved plums, blueberry compote, ripe black cherries and boysenberries, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, lilacs, espresso and licorice, plus a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has an amazing sense of cohesiveness. There are no edges to the seamless flow of exquisitely fine-grained tannins and perfectly knit acidity, beautifully framing the blue and black fruits, which are at once elegant and also so, so rich. It finishes with many slowly lapping waves of minerals and exotic spices, which just go on and on. It is a wine that is, simply put, an experience not to be missed. Give it a good 6-8 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 30 years or more." Lisa Perotti-Brown, End Of March 2021 The Wine Advocate (03/31/2021) Rating: 99+ Drink: 2027-2057