Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan 2022

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!

• Drinking Window: 2032 - 2062
• Reviewer Name: Antonio Galloni
• Review Date: October 2023

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.

• Reviewer Name: Neal Martin
• Review Date: May 2023

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the élevage here was 100% in barrel, with malolactic fermentation in same, using two-thirds new oak and the rest second-fill. A gloriously dark and focused nose here, perfumed fruit, all griottes, currant, blackcurrant, coffee bean and olive, the overall sense one of fragrant juiciness rather than anything too heavy or overdone. And this is exactly what I find on the palate, a deceptively easy-going and seamless body of dark fruit, with currant, olive and damson, with violet nuances, gorse flower Cabernet notes, and a fine bed of rich, voluminous, but tightly knit tannins. Such wonderful approachability, stunning concentration without ever giving the sense this has gone too far, filled out with dark fruits, great structure, rich complexity and a long finish packed with tightly knit tannins. And it finishes long too, with savoury tannins, all lithe and sinewy, and an absolute delight. This is a stunning VCC set to charm for many decades to come. The alcohol is 14.5% on the label.

• Drinking Window: 2031 - 2071
• Reviewer Name: Chris Kissack
• Review Date: May 2023

Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, intense aromas of ripe blackberry, plum and black cherry fruit, delicate nougat, a touch of fine oak and orange zest, with a floral background. The full-bodied palate is elegant with sturdy yet ripe and silky tannins, good freshness, and great balance with notes of black wild berries and nuances of chocolate, with a spicy, tremendously long finish. Certain ageing potential. (14.4% ABV, 75% Merlot/ 20% Cabernet Franc/ 5% Cabernet Sauvignon).

This is full-bodied with fine tannins that spread out across the palate, a dusty cashmere texture kicking in at the end. So caressing and pleasing, I can’t spit. Drink in 2029 and beyond.

• Review Date: April 2023

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.

• Drinking Window: 2027 - 2050
• Reviewer Name: Georgina Hindle
• Review Date: April 2023

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.

• Reviewer Name: William Kelley
• Review Date: April 2022

Firm tannic frame, with ink, graphite, violet flowers and red roses, even hints of black truffles at this young age, a sign of the exuberance of the vintage and one that will no doubt increase with age. A little less Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual because they have one plot uprooted right now. The aromatics are explosing, but things are more serious on the palate, with grip and austerity, and it will need a good eight to ten years in bottle to soften. Beautiful nutmeg and clove spice, with a mouthwatering finish. 35hl/h yield. 65% new oak. Oldest vines date back to 1958. 75% new oak

• Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050
• Reviewer Name: Jane Anson
• Review Date: May 2023

5% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Powerful but elegant at the same time. Floral notes with a hint of violet. Enticing, juicy extract and tannins that are present but plush and smooth. Long and well balanced with grip on the finish.

• Drinking Window: 2032 - 2050
• Reviewer Name: James Lawther MW
• Review Date: April 2023