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96 Robert Parker
The 2014 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked in three stages: 19-20 September, 29 September to 2 October, and 7 and 8 October. The yields came in at 38.7 hectoliters per hectare with 13.4% alcohol. It was one of my stars of the vintage and now in bottle, I find no reason to change that. It is endowed with an exquisite bouquet, really one of the best I encountered throughout my tastings: perfumed blackberry, wild strawberry, cold stone and wilted rose petals. Like in barrel, it is not powerful, yet it is blessed with wondrous precision. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and fine tannin, a slightly masculine VCC due to its linearity and precision. There is tension here from start to finish, a sophisticated and cerebral Pomerol that transcends the growing season. It is a totally different kettle of fish to the 2015 (and doubtless the pre-natal 2016). This is unashamedly classic in style, fanning out towards the mineral-rich finish with great frisson and energy. A cellar without the 2014 Vieux-Château-Certan would be a great pity.
96 Wine Spectator
Gorgeous, with a core of remarkably pure blackberry, raspberry and black currant fruit wrapped up in a fresh tobacco leaf accent. Everything is carried by silky yet persistent tannins, while the finish lets suave warm stone and singed juniper details fill in. Shows some coiled-up energy, which should make for fun cellaring. Best from 2020 through 2035. From France.—J.M
18 Rene Gabriel
80 % Merlot, 19 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon. 38,7 hl/ha. Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Mit 13,4 Vol. % ein ausserordentliche reiches Jahr. Doch das merkt man nicht im ersten Nasenansatz, welcher zwischen Schokolade, Kräutern und Brombeeren herum tanzt. Im zweiten Nasenansatz eine feine Pfeffernote zeigend. Im Gaumen mit sehr guter Säure (selten so vif erlebt!), eher schlanker Körper mit feinster Rasse und ebensolchen Muskeln, die Länge ist spannend und das Potential ist solide und versprechend. Etwas mehr Fett würde man diesem Wein noch wünschen, aber das kommt wohl noch mit der Barrique.
Producer
Vieux Château Certan
Pomerol’s most welcoming estate, Vieux Château Certan is also one of the oldest and most prestigious in the appellation. Founded in the mid-1700s, George Thienpont, a popular Belgian wine merchant bought the Right Bank property in 1924. Today, his grandson, Alexandre Thienpont and his own son, Guillaume build on the successes of past generations, preserving the family’s art de vivre. Over the past 30 years, Alexandre has led with the upmost attention to detail, from vine to bottle. He established environmentally friendly techniques which allows the fruits’ natural personality and character to shine. Today, he continues to produce Pomerol’s best expressions of finesse and elegance. Planted amongst the greatest wine-growing terroirs, the 14-hectare single-vineyard plot is located in the heart of the Pomerol Plateau. The dense and powerful structure of their wines are a culmination of their unique terroir and the rather large proportions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. The Grand Vin, Vieux Château Certan maintains its high-class ranking year after year, becoming very refined and harmonious after a decade of patience.