- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
RP
100
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
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. Reviewed by: William Kelley, Issue date: April 2022, Drinking window: 2029 - 2059.
2019 Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, France
A very attractive aromatic and dynamic wine!Everything this year contributed to the success of the vintage : a sufficiently cool and rainy winter followed by a fresh and sunny spring that enabled a fast, even budding of the vines.
Throughout the summer, a water deficit in the soils gradually set in before the veraison process. During the ripening of the grapes, dry, sunny weather combined with cool nights enhanced the aromatic potential of the grapes as the harvest approached. A few welcome light rain showers as from 22nd September allowed the vines to rehydrate and complete the full ripening of the grapes.
2019 is a ripe, tannic wine with fruit character and amazingly well-preserved acidity. It shows superb balance. The merlot contributes density, body, smoothness, volume and breed. The little Cabernet Franc that was selected for the First Wine displayed lace-like elegance and was complex, flavoursome and very long on the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon was lively, delicious and flavoursome.
Even in small proportion, it brought an indispensable touch of freshness to the final blend. Vieux Château Certan 2019 is very promising and can be compared with the 2009 in terms of character, concentration and complexity.
Technical data
Harvesting | from 23rd to 27th September then on 2nd and 3rd October 2019 |
Yield | 40 hectolitres per hectare. |
Blend | 78 % Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. |
Alcoholic degree | 14,5 %/vol. |
Bottling | from 6th to 14th May 2021. |
"The first bottles may be enjoyed between 2027 and 2029, while the rest should be kept another good fifteen years or more.."
Alexandre Thienpontt