Vieux Château Certan - Pomerol 2021

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe11/21/2024

N°85 TOP 100 JS FRANCE
This wine is graceful and delicate, with a clarity and beauty showing aromas of mushrooms, bark, forest floor and violets. Cherries and raspberries, too. Medium-bodied with silky, ultra-fine tannins, it runs long and true. Very crunchy and full of acid tension, this has historical character but is still modern and brilliant. 77% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe4/2/2024

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan may very well be the wine of the vintage on the Right Bank. Intensely aromatic and nuanced, with exceptional balance, the 2021 is super-classy right out of the gate. Naturally, it doesn't have the richness or density of most

Vinous

98

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2024

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan may very well be the wine of the vintage on the Right Bank. Intensely aromatic and nuanced, with exceptional balance, the 2021 is super-classy right out of the gate. Naturally, it doesn't have the richness or density of most prior vintages, but it more than makes up for that with its sublime harmony and overall freshness. All the elements are so well proportioned. Readers should plan on cellaring this beauty for at least another handful of years

Wine Advocate

95

byWilliam Kelleythe2/22/2024

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan has turned out beautifully in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, black truffle, burning embers, mint and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with impressive density, beautifully refined tannins and a long, gently vanillin-inflected finish, it's a blend of 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter imparting complexity and structure. The result is somewhat reminiscent of the estate's exceptional 2011, one of the wines of that unheralded vintage. 95+

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe1/30/2024

Skilful winemaking, with fragrant curling aromatics, gunsmoke, cigar. This is a year for taking the pleasure in aromatics, so make sure you give it time to open up, as there is a lovely structure here that curls around red roses, raspberry puree, full of joy. No chaptilisation, very light fining. 65% new oak, 3.63ph. Harvest September 24 to October 6.

matthewjukes.com

19,5

byMatthew Jukesthe8/2/2022

Unlike many other famous estates in Pomerol, there is a sense that Alexandre and Guillaume 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. 19.5

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

Medium to full body with a supple, textured and firm tannin structure. Velvety and perfumed with fragrant notes of flowers, cloves, plums and raspberries. Broad and layered. Very supple and evolving. Opens on the palate. 77% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

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.

Bettane & Desseauve

95-96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/24/2022

Accents subtils de fruits noirs et d’immortelles. Les cabernets (20 % de franc et 3 % de cabernet-sauvignon) trament bien la bouche et apportent le panache indispensable de la finale. Le velouté s’installe progressivement. Ce coureur de fond gagnera en complexité dans les prochains mois.

The Vintage Journal

96-97

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2022

Medium-deep colour. Fragrant dark plum, dark chocolate, violet aromas. Fresh graphite dark plum blackberry fruits, sinuous fine chalky/ powdery tannins and underlying savoury notes. Very good volume, beautiful richness of fruit and sapidity at the finish. Multi-layered with modulated vigour and lovely mineral length. 77% merlot, 20% cabernet franc, 3% cabernet franc. 13.2% alc

Alexandre Ma

95-97

byAlexandre Mathe5/16/2022

The floral and fruity aromas of this wine are as clear and bright as a mirror. Petals of roses, violets, and peonies fall on your taste buds, emitting an aura of “supreme elegance” from inside out. Once the liquid touches your tongue, you can feel the fresh, juicy taste and the silky tannins. The flavors of cranberry, fresh strawberry, and plum-leaved apple stroke your taste buds like strings, playing Lister's La Campanella. No, it is not only Lister's La Campanella, it is the Chambertin of Bordeaux, a top-quality Chambertin offering the “ethereal aura” of Bordeaux. ???????????????,????????????????????,????????“?????”??????,???????????????????????????????????????????,????,???????La Campanella??,????????La Campanella,??????Chambertin,???????“??”???Chambertin?

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

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, Inside Bordeaux

95

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

95-97

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

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.

Vinous

96-98

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

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.

Anthocyanes

96-98

byYohan Castaingthe5/6/2022

Assemblages non réalisés. 65 % de barriques neuves. Violette, rose, immortelle, mure, un tout petit peu racinaire avec un boisé parfaitement fondu. Toucher de bouche "cashmere" avec un très bel enrobage, des tanins magnifiques, une belle allonge et une trame aromatique subtile. Voici un Vieux Château Certan ciselé et fin. Magnifique de par sa délicatesse. Aérien et dentelé.

Wine Advocate

94-96

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

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.

Decanter.com

96

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/1/2022

Ripe juicy strawberry, this has a gorgeous intensity on the nose, really fragrant and expressive, in a rich deep, heavily-scented way. You get the ripeness here with smooth, silky tannins giving depth and intensity on the palate. Succulent with a sharpness, that hit of freshly picked strawberry and cherry juice - electric and bright with tension and direction. It’s softly spoken in one way, so quietly confident, yet showing so much detail in another, saying; "looking at how charming I can be". It has freshness and tension - ‘a cool climate VCC’ said Alexandre Thienpont. Bright acidity through delivered gracefully and sensitively with a gentle persistence. I love the delicacy, it has body no doubt, but it’s the detail that’s so captivating. A wonderful wine and one of the best from Pomerol in 2021. 3.63pH. A yield of 38hl/ha.