VIEUX Château CERTAN
Red

Vieux Château Certan is one (the last?) of the very few Bordeaux grands crus where the owners, Alexandre Thienpont and his son Guillaume since 2011, are still the only cellar masters on board. Thanks to its Cabernet Franc (30% on average), Vieux-Certan offers a firm, distinguished and refined version of Pomerol, closer to Lafleur than Petrus. Its 2022 vintage has been showered with praise, as in Vinous, where the two tasters (Galloni and Martin) each rated it 100/100.

See the technical sheet

Revue du Vin de France : 97-99/100 ♥ Coup de cœur « On perçoit beaucoup de nuances, combinant des notes de fruits frais et floral délicat, mais surtout une définition très noble de son origine. Son équilibre est issu d’une extraction douce qui respecte la matière tout en gardant son pedigree, se traduisant dans de beaux tanins étirés et poudrés, une grande énergie et la noblesse de la structure. »
Bettane & Desseauve : 96/100 ♥ Coup de cœur « Le cabernet franc trame la bouche et lui apporte le panache indispensable pour équilibrer la suavité du merlot. Style inimitable et intemporel propre à la propriété avec ce millésime qui se révèle très classique. »
Le Point : 18/20 « Frais, réglisse, violette, profond, tanins frais, glissants, droits, séveux, finale élégante et très persistante. »
Galloni : 96-98/100 « The 2023 Vieux Château Certan is like a drug. Its exotic aromatics, deeply layered fruit and sublime textures are just captivating. I tasted the 2023 from an assembled base blend and four core components. Every wine was nothing short of breathtaking. When I think of the archetypes of greatness in Bordeaux, VCC is one of them. »
Martin : 94-96/100 « This unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. Broader in the mouth compared to the Le Pin that I tasted right before, this is slightly more savory in style thanks to the 18% Cabernet Franc, landing gently on the finish. »