Vieux Château Certan 2021
• Domaine: Château Vieux Château Certan
• Appellation: Pomerol
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
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.
Tasting Notes
"A blend of 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Vieux Château Certan wafts from the glass with lovely aromas of violets, rose petals, sweet wild berries, exotic spices, orange rind and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's an elegant, fleshy wine with a bright core of fruit, ultra-refined tannins and a precise, saline finish. Despite its almost Burgundian finesse, this Pomerol's remarkably penetrating, perfumed finish gives the lie to any notion that it's in any way lacking in intensity of flavor. As is almost invariably the case, Vieux Château Certan is one of the finest wines of the appellation this year." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (4/29/2022) Rating: 94-96
"This has a classic structure, wet stones, smoked earth, plenty of sappy redcurrant and cassis fruits, graphite and subdued power, will easily age for 15 to 20 years. The emphasis is on graceful structure rather than exuberant fruits, but it has clarity and complexity, and the most beautifully drawn out finish. Skilful winemaking. No chaptilisation, 65% new oak, 3.63ph. Harvest September 24 to October 6." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (4/7/2022) Rating: 95
"The 2021 Vieux Château Certan is another pure, elegant Pomerol with plenty to love. Giving up a very pretty, precision, and medium-bodied style, it has lots of pure blue fruits, notes of spring flowers and graphite, finely polished tannins, and a great finish. It shows the cooler, fresher style of the vintage but has incredible purity and certainly brings good intensity. The tannins here are also terrific. The blend is 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, all of which is still resting in 65% new French oak." - Jeb Dunnuck (6/2/2022) Rating: 93-95
Stock Status | Pre-Arrival |
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Appellation | Pomerol |
Vintage | 2021 |
Brand | Vieux Chateau Certan |
Shipping Weight | 3.000000 |