Vieux Château Certan 2022

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 2022 Vieux Château Certan checks in as 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 18 months in two-thirds new French oak. Incredible aromatics of blackcurrants, mulled cherries, chocolate, woodsmoke, and flowery, spicy nuances all give way to a full-bodied Vieux Château Certan that builds incrementally on the palate, with flawless overall balance, a deep, layered mouthfeel, and velvety tannins. I love everything about this beauty, and while it's almost impossible to resist today, it's going to benefit from a decade in the cellar and shine for 40+ years." - Jeb Dunnuck, (02/27/2025), Ratings: 100, Drink: 2035-2075

"The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is s total stunner. Readers will find a magical wine, a Pomerol that satisfies both the intellectual and hedonistic senses. Vertical and explosive, with stunning presence, the 2022 VCC simply has it all. Time in the glass reveals myriad shades of nuance. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and plum literally soar out of the glass. The tannins are present but nearly buried by the wine's deep, layered fruit. But more than anything else, it is the balance, the total sense of harmony, that is most impressive. I simply can’t ask anything more of the 2022, hence its lofty and well-deserved rating. Bravo!" - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (01/28/2025), Ratings: 100

"The 2022 Vieux Château Certan was stellar from barrel. Now, just a week after I retasted the immortal 1947, this latest iteration proves that quality remains as high under Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont as it did during the golden postwar era under Georges Thienpoint. Boasting an intense bouquet of blackberry, briar, iodine and iris flower, this is one of the most complex and mesmerizing wines in all of Bordeaux this vintage, let alone Pomerol. The palate offers exquisite balance, razor-sharp tannins, real sapidity and a fabulous grainy texture. The Cabernet components are very expressive and lend a completely different dimension to the finish. This is exceptional." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (02/12/2025), Ratings: 100

"The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is deep and harmonious, unwinding in the glass with aromas of inky blackberries and cherries mingled with scents of burning embers, truffle and lilac. Full-bodied, dense and layered, it's rich and enveloping, its concentrated core of sweet fruit framed by powdery tannins and juicy acids. Integrated, complete and precise, this blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant vintage for Vieux Château Certan." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (03/07/2025), Ratings: 98

"Great expressiveness on the nose; perfumed blackcurrants, black cherries, strawberries, notes of dark chocolate, graphite and liquorice - smells serious. Supple and taught on the palate but with a really juicy core that gives life and energy. Tannins are excellent, giving weight and texture - a combination of chewy and fleshy but with a crushed stone and spiced edge. Lively, bright, intense, concentrated and suave. It’s rich, broad, muscular, complex and nuanced but at the same time stylish with lots of life, balance and freshness. This leaves the most gorgeous lingering expression and a sense that it’s going to be both extremely accessible in its youth and have great ageing potential. 3.78pH. A yield of 35hl/ha." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/25/2023), Ratings: 98