Vieux Château Certan 2019

Robert Parker
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.

This 14-hectare estate, divided into some 23 distinct parcels, has produced one of the greatest wines of Bordeaux's 2019 vintage. Alexandre Thienpont (who took the reins in 1986) and his thoughtful son Guillaume (who is following in his father's footsteps) work simply but attentively: there's no smoke nor mirrors at this address, just a terrific terroir (composed of around one-third gravel soils, one third clay-gravel soils and one-third clay soils), planted with some 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and winemaking that brings out its best. After classical macerations, the new wines mature in some 65% new oak from Séguin Moreau and Sylvain for 18 months. The second wine, La Gravette de Certan, is entirely Merlot, mostly from vines planted in 2010 along with a small plot dating back to 1998.

Leveres i original trækasse ved 6 flasker.

Vieux Chateau Certan hed oprindelig bare Sertan. Ejendommen blev dog splittet op i bl.a. Certan Marzelles, Certan de May - og altså Vieux Château Certan. I dag ejer familien Thienpont ejendommen. Vinene fik et stort kvalitetsmæssigt løft, da Alexandre Thienpont i 1962 overtog ledelsen efter faderens død. Han begrænsede udbyttet, det er som regel en god idé, og høstede kun, når druerne havde opnået optimal modenhed. Château Vieux Certan er en af de største ejendomme i legendariske Pomerol. De 14 hektarer vinmarker er beplantet med vinstokke, hvoraf nogle stammer helt tilbage fra 1932. Her vokser 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc og 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.