The key to understanding VCC is the interplay between the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. Whenever I visit to taste the new vintage, the key point that Alexander Thienpont will make is the percentage of Cabernet Franc as it has such a bearing on the final wine. The style of VCC can change according to the growing season. It’s always the same person, but you find it in different moods. That makes it fairly unique in Pomerol, because most properties are Merlot-dominated, Cabernet Franc playing a more peripheral role, whereas at VCC it is more central, if not to the same extent as say Lafleur. I must confess that personally, I have found that the greatest vintages contain higher amounts of Cabernet Franc. The combination with Merlot creates wines that are more than a sum of their two parts. That is essentially the magic of Vieux Château Certan.
Vieux Château Certan combines savoir-faire with exceptional soils. Coming mainly from the vineyard’s oldest vines, Vieux Château Certan is every year a blend of the most excellent lots produced at the estate. The brilliance of the wine’s hue, the richness of its aromas and the subtlety of its flavour bring it inimitable style.
The wines of Vieux Château Certan possess natural concentration and require a few years’ cellaring before the first bottles can be opened. As with the greatest Bordeaux wines, they can be enjoyed after 10 to 15 years of age.
Read their fantastic tasting notes below:
Vieux Chateau Certan, 2013
RobertParker.com 92 points - Neal Martin
Drinking window 2017 - 2030
The 2013 Vieux Château Certan has plentiful fruit on the nose considering the vintage: raspberry coulis, crushed strawberry and a touch of blackcurrant pastilles. The palate is medium-bodied and while it might not rank with the greatest VCC's of recent years in terms of complexity, there is admirable depth and purity with a crisp, almost edgy finish that leaves you wanting another sip. This comes recommended for the vintage and I suspect it will give 12-15 years of drinking pleasure.
Vieux Chateau Certan, 2014
Vinous.com 97+ points - Antonio Galloni
Drinking window 2024 - 2054
One of the unquestioned stars of the vintage, the 2014 Vieux Château Certan soars out of the glass with aromatic intensity, bright acids and finely sculpted fruit. Cool, intense but very much reserved in the style of the year, the 2014 exudes class. The flavors are intense and vibrant throughout. Dark red and purplish-hued stone fruit, lavender, mint and spice lead into the striking finish. The 2014 is just as impressive today as it was from barrel. As always, Vieux Certan has the rare ability to confer power without excess weight. The 2014 is a magical bottle. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. The blend is back to classic proportions of 80 % Merlot and 20 % Cabernet Franc.
Vieux Chateau Certan, 2015
Vinous.com 100 points - Antonio Galloni
Drinking window 2030 - 2065
The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is pure class. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this sumptuous, spectacularly ripe Pomerol. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's textural richness and intensity that stand out most. As good as the 2015 is today, it is going to need at least 15-20 years to be at its very best. Is there anything more I can ask of the 2015? No, there is not. This is a tremendous showing.
Vieux Chateau Certan, 2016
RobertParker.com 100 points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Drinking window 2021 - 2070
The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is blended of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with pristine, vivid notions of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry compote and mulberries with fragrant touches of raspberry leaves, crushed rocks, licorice, cumin seed and yeast extract plus a waft of red roses. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully elegant, the palate builds from a quiet intensity to an incredibly well-sustained aria of crunchy red and black cherries notes plus tons of floral undertones, framed by exquisitely soft yet firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with lingering mineral and floral sparks. How does this 2016 compare to the also amazing 2015 vintage? Stylistically they are very different, as my notes on each should convey, but beyond this I am struck by the incredible harmony and seamlessness of the 2016 along with its amazing depth and energy this year. Bravo!
Vieux Chateau Certan, 2017
Vinous.com 98 points - Antonio Galloni
Drinking window 2027 - 2047
Just as it was en primeur, the 2017 Vieux Château Certan is regal and soaring right out of the glass. Inky blue and purplish fruit, chocolate, licorice, lavender, spice and mint come together in a dense, dark and powerful Pomerol. The 2017 is an explosive, vivid wine of monastic beauty. In this vintage, VCC is especially dark and somber, which adds to a real feeling of mysterious beauty. It is a towering achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont.