Vieux Château Certan 2015

Tasted blind. Not especially aromatic but there’s a lot underneath. Serious stuff with great richness but great structure too. Hint of mint.Drink 2024-2042

Sweet and ripe on the nose the start of the palate is rich with fleshy black plum. Lighter in the middle bramble and bilberry and although there is more depth at the back the finish has a light flowing elegance. 2027-40

“Like 2010, but with better Cabernet Franc” is how Alexandre Thienpoint describes his wine.It’s certainly an impressive Pomerol, but I preferred the former vintage. This is flirting withover-ripeness at 14.6% alcohol, but has the richness, fine tannins and fruit weight to cope.Sweet, dense and a little figgy with the Cabernet Franc providing an undertone of leafyfreshness. Drink: 2022-35

Guillaume Thienpont describes this wine as ‘La Force Tranquille’. There is no doubt one millisecond after raising the glassto my nose that this is an incredible wine. The depth of fruit on the nose is extraordinary. It is close to perfection whenboth grapes ripen optimally and this doesn’t always happen at Vieux Château Certan. Clearly, they manage to makefascinating wine year in year out at this property, but in the vintages when both grapes perform, the Thienponts makea ‘true’ Vieux Château Certan and this is as clear and sonorous as any young vintage I have ever tasted. The palate iscomplete and it expands as it travels across the taste buds into a larger, more intense beast. Bigger and more expansivethan the 2014 this is an indulgent wine and it never relents in its desire to inform you of its pedigree. Cabernet Franc kepteverything in check and this is what has brought the freshness to the Merlot. This is a very structured, powerful VieuxChâteau Certan with magnificent control and a deep, dense register. 2010 was all about Merlot - this vintage is all aboutVieux Château Certan. Thrilling and magnificent, rich and luxurious this is a near perfect VCC.

The 2015 Vieux Chateau Certan was bottled in mid-May as usual. This was one of the wines of the vintage out of barrel, and now it has a compelling bouquet with blackberry, smoke and iris. There is wonderful delineation here, a cerebral bouquet that is quite mercurial in the glass, traces of black truffle emerging with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and just a killer line of acidity, a Vieux Chateau Certan surfeit with energy and joie de vivre. It fans out in glorious, almost swaggering fashion with truffle and white pepper, a touch of truffle on the persistent finish. This is clearly destined to be one among the canon of legendary wines from the estate although it does deserve requisite cellaring. This is one of the wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2025 - 2055.

The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot,, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, cropped between September 17 and October 2 at 42 hectoliters per hectare. The IPT is healthy 83 and the pH is 3.72, the alcohol 14.6%. Enough statistics. What you need to know is that it is a beguiling Pomerol that will set hearts aflutter. It is bridled with a heavenly bouquet with intense red and black fruit, black truffle and a touch of smoke, opening wonderfully in the glass; the Cabernet Franc is very expressive and imparting a licorice note after ten minutes. The palate is medium-bodied with intensity, with a killer line of acidity that imparts freshness from the very start. There is life-affirming tension interwoven throughout this extremely complex wine from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. There are layers, more like a mille-feuille of blackberry, boysenberry, mineral, truffle and a touch of spice towards the finish, just a touch of warmth from the alcohol that merely complements an extraordinary and profound Pomerol. Drink 2025-2060.

A powerful and rich wine with super concentration and length. Deep and very rich. Glorious blackberry and black chocolate. Full and super velvety. A creamy texture of stone, chalk and lemon rind from the tannins and acidity. Wow. Loving it. The caressing character is so memorable. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc.

Blended of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Vieux Chateau Certan opens with profound notes of blueberry compote, dried mulberries, black forest cake, licorice, violets and garrigue with wafts of black truffles, sandalwood and rose hips. Medium to full-bodied, very earthy/savory and beautifully layered with very plush yet present tannins, it offers lovely freshness and a very long minerally finish. So very Pomerol!

Very intense nose with strong mineral notes - lots of Cabernet Franc influence. Massive impact with really luscious ripe fruit but massive tannins too. Very satiny initially but underneath there is massive tannin. Lovely fragrant top note. Beautifully married. Very sophisticated and with many layers. All vineyard not winemaking. Very savoury - very unlike Merlot stereotype.Drink 2025-2045