2021 - Vieux Château Certan Pomerol - 6x75cl

Colour Red
Producer Vieux Château Certan
Region Pomerol
Drinking 2027 - 2050
Case size 6x75cl
Available Now

Please note: This wine is available for immediate delivery.

Go To Checkout

Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.

Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 95-97

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 24 to October 6 at 38hL/ha and registers 13.2% alcohol. It is a VCC defined by its Cabernets; Guillaume Thienpont told me ]they used all they had. "I would have blended more if we had more vines," he quipped. The nose unfurls with air to reveal graphite-infused black fruit, touches of undergrowth and tobacco – quintessential VCC aromatics. The palate is beautifully balanced with exquisite definition, not powerful and certainly not opulent, yet built around finesse, precision and charm. It seems to grow in stature in the glass. Pure class. Drink 2028 - 2058
Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 94-96

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.
Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 96-98

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan is a spectacular tour de force from Alexander and Guillaume Thienpont. What a wine. Vibrant and magnificent in its precision, the 2021 races across the palate, revealing seemingly endless layers of nuance over time. Dark blue/purplish fruit, cinnamon, new leather, graphite, lavender and crushed rocks all build effortlessly. The Cabernets are dialed up in 2021 and that comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. The purity of the flavors is just mind-bending. Harvest took place between September 25 and October 4. The blend is 67% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Readers who can find the 2021 should not hesitate, as it is truly magical. Drink 2031 - 2061
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 98-99

Arguably the most graceful and refined wine of the vintage, it has almost Vosne-Romanée’s Grand Cru vineyard characteristics with sensual, genteel finesse. Perfumed with violets, damson and sloe, it has a silky ease laced with velvety tannins. The alcohol at 13.2 is light, the lively Cabernet Franc flavours are rewarding and refreshing. For a wine so pure and delicate it has extraordinary length. One of the most exciting wines of the vintage during the week of primeur tastings.
Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96

Dark ruby in color, the perfume kicks off with lilacs, violets, graphite, nutmeg, spice, plums and black cherry nuances. On the palate, the wine is fresh, vibrant, crisp, chewy and long. The salty touch of minerality in the endnote adds to all the sweet, dark red pit fruits. Refined, elegant and classic, (but in a good way) there is length, purity, tension and energy in the finish, with just a hint of spice too. The wine blends 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.2% ABV. The harvest took place September 24-September - October 6. Yields were 38 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2026-2049. 94-96
Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95

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.
Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5

Unlike many other famous estates in Pomerol, there is a sense that Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont feel their way through vintages, as opposed to having, or even winging it with, a plan. I sense that if a hurricane arrived on the horizon, then their waste paper bin would receive another direct hit while they drew up a new and utterly relaxed recipe. This template might only last a day, but this openness, ability, and trust in their vineyards allows them never to lose faith in turning gloomy weather forecasts into invigoratingly delicious wines. So it was in 2021 when their old vine Merlot (some vines are 90 years old) kept its nerve and piloted this wine through the storms. Had they not pulled out a block of Cabernet Franc, it would have been jolly helpful in this wine, but I cannot sense any missing jigsaw piece. Guillaume explained that older vintages of VCC always had a sprinkle of Cabernet Sauvignon in the mix, and in 2021 they include fruit from vines planted in 2012. I can’t imagine how heart-warming it must feel to include the fruit from ten-year-old vines in a wine of this level of distinction. So, as always with VCC, my tasting note starts from the end and reverses (no idea why). The acidity and brightness of the finish bring incredible definition and pixelation to this wine. If only my eyesight were this acute. The perfumes and flavours here are delivered in HD - so thank goodness for one’s taste buds! You can experience every intricate detail here without relying on force, concentration or repetition. The persistence of the mildly-exotic cherry fruit and floral spice is sensational, and the silkiness (no more than medium-weight at any stage) is captivating. VCC is a wine that glides, not rolls, across the palate. And then, eventually, the finish scratches to a halt on the palate with a scuff of ultra-fine tannins like a speed-skater going from full pelt to a standing stop in a moment. How amazing that this property didn’t freeze, mildew was in check, and the four weeks of sunshine helped make a good vintage into an epic one. And, Immortelle is alive in this wine, too; Guillaume’s eyes flickered when I mentioned this wizardly trait.

Producer

Vieux Château Certan

What is there not to like about this château and its amiable owner, Alexandre Thienpont? Sensitive,reflective and wonderfully humble, he is of the school who believes that wine makes itself. He is just the assistant who helps it along the way. And the wine certainly seems to be spectacular year after year.

Region

Pomerol

The small sub-region of Pomerol is situated north-east of the industrious city of Libourne. Pomerol's soils are predominately iron-rich clay with a smattering of gravel that produce wines with extraordinary power and depth. As a result of this clay-dominance, it has the highest percentage of Merlot planted in all of Bordeaux. Certain châteaux are produced exclusively from this grape, but most incorporate smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well. Despite its hefty (if not exclusive) proportion of Merlot, many people think of wines from this region as separate entities. As one wine aficionado stated recently, "It's not Merlot. It's Pomerol." Despite the region's small size, Pomerol contains some of the world's most sought after (and expensive) wines including Pétrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, l'Evangile and Vieux Château Certan. Unlike other Bordelais subregions, there is no system of classification. The châteaux are traded on reputation alone.