2016 - Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol

In 2016 it was extremely dry at Vieux Chateau Certan so they had to delay the harvest. They marked the vines on which the berries had dried and didn't harvest them. The blend in 2016 was 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It pops with scents of vibrant black plums, juicy blackberries and redcurrant jelly, leading to hints of licorice, wood smoke, crushed rocks, and violets, plus a hint of cumin seed. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, the palate has a firm frame of ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness supporting the dense, muscular fruit, finishing long. The fruit is so primary - it's in a time capsule. This was the first vintage bottled using their own bottling line.

The 2016 Vieux Château Certan was tasted on two occasions. Blind, there was just a patina of wood on the finish that made it difficult to read. The bottle at Bordeaux Index's tasting tallied with my previous encounter. A multi-faceted bouquet with pure black and blueberry fruit, crushed stone and light graphite scents from the Cabernet component. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, tensile and demonstrating incredible length on the finish. Profound. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting in London.

Smoky peony and rose petals, this is getting into its stride, showing the sweet spot VCC and again underlining how good the best Pomerols are in 2016. More austerity on the palate than some, with the most gorgeous restained cold ash and campfire, dense damson and cranberry, concentrated yet with a lightness of touch, push and pull, just love this. Guillaume Thienpont had been working back with his father Alexandre since 2012, so four years at this point.