2017 Vieux Chateau Certan Bordeaux Red

2017 Vieux Chateau Certan

98 JD

Featured Review

Possibly the wine of the vintage, the 2017 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from the highest point on the Pomerol plateau. Deep purple, with a heavenly bouquet of creme de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, crushed violets, tobacco, and earth, this beauty is full-bodied, has incredible depth of fruit, ripe, present tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This estate has been on fire of late, and this is undoubtedly a worthy follow-on to the otherworldly 2015 and 2016. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer pleasure even today, yet a solid 7-8 years of cellaring are warranted, and it should be long-lived. Bravo! Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

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.

James Suckling | 98 JS

Composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Vieux Château Certan sports a deep garnet-purple color. No mincing about, the bouquet absolutely prances out of the glass with stunning scents of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, roses and eucalyptus over a core of black plum preserves, mulberries, black raspberries and blueberry pie plus wafts of licorice, iron ore and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic balance and expression, with very fine-grained, silt-like tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing with epic length and perfume.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

Just as it was en primeur, the 2017 Vieux Château Certan is regal and soaring right out of the glass. Inky blue and purplish fruit, chocolate, licorice, lavender, spice and mint come together in a dense, dark and powerful Pomerol. The 2017 is an explosive, vivid wine of monastic beauty. In this vintage, VCC is especially dark and somber, which adds to a real feeling of mysterious beauty. It is a towering achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont.

Vinous Media | 98 VM

This delivers a terrific rush of raspberry ganache and steeped plum fruit that holds center stage throughout, flanked by singed apple wood and dried anise notes and backed on the finish by hints of Lapsang souchong tea, warm fruitcake and mineral. A step ahead of the pack in this vintage. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2040. 3,666 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 98 WS

With a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, this wine is solidly tannic, with intense acidity to balance the ripe berry flavors and structure. The wine is destined for long aging with its structure and powerful tannins. At the same time, juicy acidity gives vibrancy. Drink from 2024.

Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

(Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol, Red) Extremely bright, dark fruit aromas are joined by hints of gooseberry and redcurrant in the mouth, but a deeper, richer cassis comes through on the mid-palate. The high level of acidity emphasises a floral note, yet this has an austerity that is more pronounced than in recent vintages, which should settle in over time. This is a fairly concentrated vintage at VCC, more than at many properties, and was their fifth earliest harvest in the past 20 years, similar to 2011 in terms of dates, although this time it was in three stages, from 12 September to 2 October. This is different in profile to the 2016, with more Cabernet Sauvignon (planted in 2012). It's an elegant style with pure fruit; an extremely focussed and linear wine that's far from exuberant. No frost here, so a final yield of 37hl/ha. 3.75pH. IPT 73.

Decanter | 93 DEC

Type of Wine	Bordeaux Red : Picture in your mind a combination of cedar, lead pencil, blackcurrant, plum and mineral aromatics, and texture that caresses your palate like a playful lover. The experience is thrilling from the first whiff to the final seconds of a tannic, generous finish - that is what you'll get from a Bordeaux Red
Varietal	Bordeaux Blend
Country	France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world. For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide. France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity. France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.

Producer	Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan : Great wine estates understand the importance of allowing the natural landscape and climate to dictate grape varieties cultivated. Though Pomerol is part of Bordeaux, it differs in climate and geology from the Medoc, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns. Pomerol is Merlot territory, where high clay content lay deep below the surface with mostly sand and gravel with a high proportion of stone on top allowing the vines to prosper. Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan is one of the oldest in the appellation and has been successfully exploiting the benefits of its terroir; producing some of the greatest wines not only in Pomerol, but perhaps in all of Bordeaux. Though the land of Pomerol is relatively flat, Vieux Chateau Certan rests atop the Pomerol Plateau, where its vines abut those of Chateau Petrus. This is where the grapes of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon enjoy perfect harmony of complex soil composition and a unique micro-climate. Its geographical location farther south on the right bank lends to its warmer temperatures and an earlier ripening season. The 14 hectares of Vieux Chateau Certan are planted in one single block which is made up of 23 plots. Each is managed individually according to soil type, grape variety and age of vines. The soils are varied subtly and contain a very clayey part planted mainly with Merlot (70%), a gravel-clay part planted with Cabernet Franc (25%), and a very gravely part planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Each planting is an impressive display of human talent and respect for nature and the anticipation of what the terroir will best allow to succeed. Founded at the beginning of the 16th century by the Demay family, who were well known for their work in the Bordeaux wine trade. The wines we know today as Vieux Chateau Certan were originally sold under the name “Sertan.” Their formative years enjoyed great success as it was considered one of the top wines in Pomerol if not the best. In truth, since its inception Vieux Chateau Certan has displayed the impressive character of a top Bordeaux. In 1924, Georges Thienpont, a popular Belgian Bordeaux wine merchant purchased the estate. He was already a successful landowner of the Saint-Emilion property of Troplong Mondot, but his relationship to Vieux Chateau Certan was important, as was the wine’s success and image in the market place. He developed a savvy marketing ploy in an effort to discover which of his clients were buying his wine. In discreet fashion, he implanted the use of distinctive pink capsule that we still see on the bottles today. Pink was also the color of the moment for Parisian designers, making the look of the bottle quite chic. The Thienpont family remains in control of the estate today, continuing the efforts of maintaining the prestige and success that Vieux Chateau Certan has relished since the 16th century. A mighty task to live up to, but it rests dutifully in the hands of Georges Thienpont’s grandson Alexandre. He lives and works for his wine and is known in Bordeaux as the man who intimately knows each vine in his 14 hectare vineyard. It is safe to say that the wine bottle with the pink capsule’s legacy will continue to live on and prosper. He has since brought Vieux Chateau Certan to its golden age. The wines have received world-wide acclaim for their bold character, purity, elegance, suppleness and complexity, which are typical for the terroir and micro-climate of the Pomerol plateau. Alexander introduced a second wine, La Gravette de Certan, and in keeping with tradition, it too has the distinctive pink capsule. The Grand Vin has an annual production of 5,000 cases. The remaining fruit goes into the making of the second wine or is sold as a generic Pomerol wine.