Vieux Chateau Certan 2019 (1.5L)

100 WA / 99 DE / 99 WI / 99 JS / 99 VM / 99 WCI / 98+ AG / 98+ JD / 97 JA / 97 WS / 19 JR

#19 Wine Independent Top 25 QPR Collector Wines 2022
#44 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of France 2022
#65 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2022

 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. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

A sophisticated wine, glamourous yet refined with nuances of perfumed flowers, liquorice, crushed stones, dark chocolate and blackcurrants - all subtly presented but so fitting together. Great energy and clarity from the start, the flavours just hit the tongue and expand but slowly and carefully, the wonderful perfume permeating and driving down layer upon layer of softly sweet, ripe fruit and salty mineral freshness. Multi-dimensional in the best way - one you want to sit with and enjoy the aromatic complexities. Divine. Drinking Window 2030 - 2050 - GH, Decanter

The 2019 Vieux Chateau Certain is a blend of 78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with vibrant black and blue fruits - blackberry preserves, ripe plums, and juicy blueberries - with touches of kirsch, Sichuan pepper, violets, licorice, and cumin seed. Full bodied, rich, and decadent in the mouth, the palate has a fantastic line of freshness and mind-blowingly ripe, complex tannins (thanks to the 3 varieties this year) supporting the very tightly wound layers, finishing with incredible length and lots of floral and mineral fireworks. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2019 Vieux-ChâteauCertan has a fabulous bouquet with stunning delineation, a complex array of red and black fruit, sous-bois, truffle and Seville orange marmalade. The palate is medium-bodied and very precise, with fine-grain tannins, a superb bead of acidity and a peacock's tail on the finish lingering long in the mouth. I knew this was an awesome Pomerol...but maybe not this awesome! Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. -- Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Subtle and complex with blackberries, violets, lilacs, roses and hints of ink. So floral, yet subtle on the nose. Full-bodied with incredible polish and beauty, the silky tannins running the length of the wine and going on and on. It builds with sheer elegance and structure. A blend of 78% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 7% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028, but already a joy to taste.--James Suckling

The 2019 Vieux Château Certan is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. It is very clearly one of the highlights on the Right Bank. Soaring aromatics are immediately captivating. There is an exoticism in the 2019 that I saw from barrel that is evident in the bottled wine, but today, I see more balance and harmony. Crème de cassis, licorice, lavender, spice and rose petal blend into a core of red/purplish berry fruit. All the elements are so well balanced. The Grand Vin is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, but the blend also includes one lot of young vine Cabernet Sauvignon that was added for its aromatic presence. That decision paid off in spades, as the 2019 is truly magical. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

There is no hotter wine these days in Pomerol than Vieux Chateau Certan. Since 2009, vintage after vintage has been extraordinary and 2019 continues its hot streak! The first thing you notice is the perfume, which is just like walking into a flower store with rows of roses, violets, and lilies along with forest greenery, spice box, plum liqueur, black cherry, truffle, and dark chocolate scents come alive. But it is on the palate that leaves you wanting more, due to non-stop waves of perfectly ripe, black cherries, plums, blackberries, and blue fruit which feel like each berry was hand-polished with a velvet cloth. The seamless finish delivers cashmere textures for more than 60 seconds! You can drink this relatively young for its hedonistic thrill-ride, or age it for additional complexities. Either way, this is a future legend! Drink from 2026-2060. - Wine Cellar Insider

A wine I wasn't able to taste from barrel, the 2019 Vieux Château Certan is an awesome expression of Merlot that's as singular as they come. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a prodigious, deep, layered bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, cedar pencil, and sappy spring flowers, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, multi-dimensional texture, a great mid-palate, no hard edges, perfectly integrated acidity, and a blockbuster of a finish. It shows the more ethereal, nuanced, elegant style of the vintage, both in its aromatics as well as on the palate, but it has classic Vieux Château Certan opulence and power. This heavenly wine is clearly in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018 and will probably merit a triple-digit rating at maturity. A decade of cellaring is advised, and it should be a 40-, 50-, if not 60-year wine. - Jeb Dunnuck

The tannins are firm and strict, keeping the dark fruits carefully in line. Tons of liquorice and slate, with a beautifully fragrant edge of violets, peonies, smoke. It has the kind of austerity that makes you happy to be patient, hiding layers and layers of nuance, with the sleight of hand between density and lightness, so it rises and falls, breathing through your palate, stretching its limbs. A delicious and beautifully classical expression, intellectual also, finishing with oyster shell salinity. 70% new oak, 40hl/h yield, harvest September 23 to October 3. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Allows glorious plum sauce, boysenberry puree and black cherry compote flavors to unfurl over a bed of velvety tannins, while subtle black tea, violet, alder and sweet tobacco notes flirt in the background. The finish is underscored by a subtle warm earth note, which adds latent length. A beauty. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040. 3,916 cases made. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Deep blackish crimson. Very comfortably established and well-knit nose. Just a little bit of heat but great drama on the palate. Already the tannins are so smooth! With a mass of ripe cassis fruit. The Merlot signature is so mild. Toasty and long. Voluptuous. Sweet and glamorous. Beautiful texture. Sinewy. Long and confident. Very classic. Still a little hint of spicy oak on the very end. - Jancis Robinson