2023 Vieux Chateau Certan - Pomerol AC

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *Beautiful purple colour in the glass, vibrant and alive. Great florality; raspberry, cherry, cranberry, lots of fresh red summer berries and lots of aromatics. Broad and expansive on the palate, delicate yet powerfu with flavours of crushed herbs, stones and mint - sappy and saline. Feels very VCC on the palate, combining grippy Cabernets with fruity, fleshy Merlot. A statuesque and structured wine with no harshness. Effortless and totally moreish. I love it, classicism in the very best way. There’s something incredible about this wine, full of life and juiciness. Excellent. 3.74pH (lower than usual). 4% press wine. Ageing two thirds new oak. 42hl/ha yield.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 99 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, Nugat, dunkle Kirschen, ein Hauch von Nelken, kandierte Orangenzesten. Komplex, saftig und seidig, feine Extraktsüße, Nuancen von schwarzen Kirschen und Brombeeren, feine, runde Tannine, frische Mineralität im Abgang, animierend, versteckt seine Muskeln perfekt, zeigt große Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial. Ein Klassiker.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 97/100 pts: *Ein Wein mit viel Tiefgang und Komplexität, man könnte ein Bad nehmen, so fein ist dieser Duft, floral, dunkelfruchtig, verführerisch; dichter Gaumen, satte Frucht, ein Mund voll Wein, ohne ein Gramm Fett zu viel, perfekt austariertes Tannin, sensationelle Struktur, die Frucht ist knackig, die Länge ausgezeichnet. Ein grosser Vieux Château Certan.* - 12/2023

WeinWisser – 19,5+/20 pts – GL, TW: *82 % Merlot, 18 % Cabernet Franc, 14.0 Vol.-%, pH 3.74, 43 hl/ha. Was für ein unglaubliches reines Parfüm, frischgepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, Waldhimbeere und verführerisches Veilchenparfüm. Im zweiten Ansatz Holundergelee, Graphit und Iris-Duft. Am kaskadenartigen Gaumen mit samtiger Textur, punktet mit Finesse und Präzision, engmaschigem Tanningerüst, herrlicher Extraktfülle und perfekt modelliertem Körper. Im konzentrierten, nicht enden wollenden Finale ein Feuerwerk mit blauen Beeren, tiefschürfender Terroirwürze und royaler Adstringenz. "VCC in a timeless style", fügt Alexandré Thienpont stolz an.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JL: *82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc. 42 hl/ha. No Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year (blocked by the heat in August). Cask sample. Fresh, floral and complex. Sweet start then suave and smooth, the fruit crunchy and juicy. Ripe, fine tannic frame. Not the overt power of 2022 but structured and ageworthy all the same.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (96-98) pts – AG: *The 2023 Vieux Château Certan is like a drug. Its exotic aromatics, deeply layered fruit and sublime textures are just captivating. I tasted the 2023 from an assembled base blend and four core components. Every wine was nothing short of breathtaking. When I think of the archetypes of greatness in Bordeaux, VCC is one of them. The 2023 is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Like all producers, Alexandre and Guillaume were forced to decide whether to pick their Cabernets before or after the September rains. As it turned out, none of the lots picked before the rain made it into the Grand Vin. Only those picked later were deemed of high enough quality.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – NM: *The 2023 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 18 to 29. This year, there is no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend as the fruit did not reach full ripeness, according to winemaker Guillaume Thienpont. The fruit was cropped at 43hL/ha as they suffered no mildew, there were one-third fewer pump-overs, and this vintage matured in two-thirds new oak. It has a well-defined bouquet, a little sultry at first: black cherry, iodine, violet flower and a touch of crushed stone. This unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. Broader in the mouth compared to the Le Pin that I tasted right before, this is slightly more savory in style thanks to the 18% Cabernet Franc, landing gently on the finish. This is an elegant, slightly earthier VCC that will age beautifully in the bottle.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (97-99) pts – JL: *Black cherries, flowers, chocolate, truffles, blackberries and a touch of cinnamon produce the aromatic profile. Elegance and power do not always go together. But with 2023 VCC, this is exactly what you find. There is intensity, richness, velvety-tannins, chalky accents, and layers of chocolate-infused, dark pit fruits, with wet earth, and spice. The wine is rich, full, and deep, with uplifting acidities providing energy to the long, sensuous finish. The temperate conditions of the growing season, without extreme variances is what allowed the vintage to develop its characteristics. In the cellars, the extractions were slow, soft, and easy. Pump overs were reduced by 30% this year as well. The wine blends 82% Merlot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV, 3.74 pH. The harvest took place September 18 - September 29. Drink from 2029-2060.* - 05/2024