Château Vieux Château Certan
About Château Vieux Château Certan
Vieux Château Certan is one of Pomerol’s oldest and most exalted estates, having produced wine since at least the mid-1470s. Vieux Château Certan is regularly ranked by the world's press and international tasting panels among the very top wines of Bordeaux. A small estate by Bordeaux standards, this Pomerol estate has been considered one of the great producers in its appellation for a long time. One of the Thienpont stables, it can be considered a less flashy, elder sibling to the micro-cuvée estate Le Pin. For a wine which is often mentioned in the same breath as Petrus, the Grand Vin is surprisingly good value for money and the second wine, Gravette de Certan is very reasonable indeed.
Viniculture
Vieux Château Certan is an elegant Pomerol. It’s full-bodied, rich and offers ripe blackberry, plum, floral, chocolate and spice aromas. At its best, its texture is pure silk and velvet. The wine is effortless to drink, yet it’s complex and ages well. Yearly production is very small at only 4-5,000 cases per year, compared with about 25,000 cases by Lafite. It is therefore rare to find full cases of mature vintages with good condition on the secondary market. Mature vintages of well-scored Vieux Château Certain are great for both personal consumption or to hold as an investment.
The estate also produces a second wine - La Gravette de Certan - which is made of “younger” vines up to 25 years old.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£1,699.24 |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,479.24 |
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James Suckling (100)This is a wine that had extreme intensity of electrifying tannins and acidity, with supercharged fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and lively. It touches every taste bud on your palate. Chocolate mousse and fruit. I am lost for words. Legendary 1950 all over again. Try it in 2020. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,057.24 |
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Wine Advocate (96)One of the stars of the vintage, the 2011 Vieux Château Certan was brilliant from barrel (I vividly remember tasting it as a student), and it is beginning to show all of that potential in bottle. Wafting from the glass with inviting aromas of mulberries, cherries, vine smoke, bitter chocolate, violets and spices, framed by a deft application of classy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with terrific concentration, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. Even better, this terrific wine remains notably undervalued in the market today. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,002.04 |
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Wine Advocate (92)The 2013 Vieux Château Certan has plentiful fruit on the nose considering the vintage: raspberry coulis, crushed strawberry and a touch of blackcurrant pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied and while it might not rank with the greatest VCC's of recent years in terms of complexity, there is admirable depth and purity with a crisp, almost edgy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. This comes recommended for the vintage and I suspect it will give 12-15 years of drinking pleasure. |
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Bordeaux | 1 | 97+ (VN (AG)) |
Inc. VAT
£979.24 |
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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97+)One of the unquestioned stars of the vintage, the 2014 Vieux Château Certan soars out of the glass with aromatic intensity, bright acids and finely sculpted fruit. Cool, intense but very much reserved in the style of the year, the 2014 exudes class. The flavors are intense and vibrant throughout. Dark red and purplish-hued stone fruit, lavender, mint and spice lead into the striking finish. The 2014 is just as impressive today as it was from barrel. As always, Vieux Certan has the rare ability to confer power without excess weight. The 2014 is a magical bottle. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The blend is back to classic proportions of 80 % Merlot and 20 % Cabernet Franc. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,069.24 |
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James Suckling (98)The purity and complexity is so mesmerizing for 2017. Raspberries and black fruit with sweet-tobacco and blood-orange undertones. Medium to full body. The tannins are so polished and pure and push out the edges on the wine. Fresh and pretty. Deep. Needs two or three years to perfect it. Try after 2023. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 99+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,813.24 |
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Wine Advocate (99+)The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with 14.4% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at this youthful stage, requiring a lot of patient swirling to release a profound powerhouse of a perfume: preserved plums, blueberry compote, ripe black cherries and boysenberries, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, lilacs, espresso and licorice, plus a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has an amazing sense of cohesiveness. There are no edges to the seamless flow of exquisitely fine-grained tannins and perfectly knit acidity, beautifully framing the blue and black fruits, which are at once elegant and also so, so rich. It finishes with many slowly lapping waves of minerals and exotic spices, which just go on and on. It is a wine that is, simply put, an experience not to be missed. Give it a good 6-8 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 30 years or more. |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,567.24 |
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Wine Advocate (100)One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Vieux Château Certan unfurls in the glass with a striking bouquet of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of violets, loamy soil, sweet spices and incense. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's seamless and enveloping, with a fleshy core of beautifully vibrant fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, this perfumed, sensual Vieux Château Certan is a remarkable achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | - |
In Bond
£1,400.00 |
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|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£2,050.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (100)This is a wine that had extreme intensity of electrifying tannins and acidity, with supercharged fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and lively. It touches every taste bud on your palate. Chocolate mousse and fruit. I am lost for words. Legendary 1950 all over again. Try it in 2020. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£865.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96)One of the stars of the vintage, the 2011 Vieux Château Certan was brilliant from barrel (I vividly remember tasting it as a student), and it is beginning to show all of that potential in bottle. Wafting from the glass with inviting aromas of mulberries, cherries, vine smoke, bitter chocolate, violets and spices, framed by a deft application of classy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with terrific concentration, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. Even better, this terrific wine remains notably undervalued in the market today. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 92 (WA) |
In Bond
£819.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (92)The 2013 Vieux Château Certan has plentiful fruit on the nose considering the vintage: raspberry coulis, crushed strawberry and a touch of blackcurrant pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied and while it might not rank with the greatest VCC's of recent years in terms of complexity, there is admirable depth and purity with a crisp, almost edgy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. This comes recommended for the vintage and I suspect it will give 12-15 years of drinking pleasure. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 97+ (VN (AG)) |
In Bond
£800.00 |
|||||
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97+)One of the unquestioned stars of the vintage, the 2014 Vieux Château Certan soars out of the glass with aromatic intensity, bright acids and finely sculpted fruit. Cool, intense but very much reserved in the style of the year, the 2014 exudes class. The flavors are intense and vibrant throughout. Dark red and purplish-hued stone fruit, lavender, mint and spice lead into the striking finish. The 2014 is just as impressive today as it was from barrel. As always, Vieux Certan has the rare ability to confer power without excess weight. The 2014 is a magical bottle. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The blend is back to classic proportions of 80 % Merlot and 20 % Cabernet Franc. |
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|
Bordeaux | 2 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£875.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)The purity and complexity is so mesmerizing for 2017. Raspberries and black fruit with sweet-tobacco and blood-orange undertones. Medium to full body. The tannins are so polished and pure and push out the edges on the wine. Fresh and pretty. Deep. Needs two or three years to perfect it. Try after 2023. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 99+ (WA) |
In Bond
£1,495.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (99+)The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with 14.4% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at this youthful stage, requiring a lot of patient swirling to release a profound powerhouse of a perfume: preserved plums, blueberry compote, ripe black cherries and boysenberries, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, lilacs, espresso and licorice, plus a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has an amazing sense of cohesiveness. There are no edges to the seamless flow of exquisitely fine-grained tannins and perfectly knit acidity, beautifully framing the blue and black fruits, which are at once elegant and also so, so rich. It finishes with many slowly lapping waves of minerals and exotic spices, which just go on and on. It is a wine that is, simply put, an experience not to be missed. Give it a good 6-8 years in the cellar and drink it over the next 30 years or more. |
|||||||||
|
Bordeaux | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,290.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (100)One of the wines of the vintage, the 2019 Vieux Château Certan unfurls in the glass with a striking bouquet of cassis and cherries mingled with notions of violets, loamy soil, sweet spices and incense. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's seamless and enveloping, with a fleshy core of beautifully vibrant fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, this perfumed, sensual Vieux Château Certan is a remarkable achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. |