Certan de May 2010

Chocolaty, cedary and Christmas fruitcake notes along with some oak, damp earth and forest floor are present in this full-bodied, masculine style of Pomerol, which has a dense ruby/purple color and is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wine has a nice chewiness to it and is powerful and muscular, but not quite as silky or complex as some of the other top wines of this appellation. Forget it for 5-7 years and drink it over the following 25.

The 2010 Certan de May has a slightly disjointed bouquet compared to the 2010 Clos l’Eglise, broodier and more introspective, but eventually reveals attractive truffle and morel aromas, hints of warm gravel or red bricks. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, taut and crisp with a slightly attenuation towards the finish. But there is wonderful tension and sense of energy. This is a cru that disappointed when I last tasted it in 2014. This is a completely different wine! Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. 2022 - 2040

Beautiful dense nose with polished dark fruit, leather and wet forest floor. Coffee, sweet tobacco, and Seville orange. Full-bodied and intense on the palate with polished tannins and deep layered texture. Give it four or five years of bottle age to soften. So gorgeous already.

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Certan de May opens with notions of sweaty leather and pencil lead over a core of prunes, blackberry pie, dried mint and mulberries with a touch of mincemeat pie. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a punch of dense, earth-laced black fruits combined with chewy tannins, finishing spicy. 2020 - 2032