Wine Advisor
Certan de May 2000
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Ruby-red. Reserved nose hints at bitter cherry, Cuban tobacco and game. Rather powerfully structured but a bit dry-edged, showing more game and tobacco than primary fruit and lacking verve. Finishes a bit dry. As with the 2001, this sample may not be fresh.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep, bright ruby. Superripe aromas of jammy dark berries, chocolate, roasted herbs and earth; somewhat porty but not at all oxidative. Sweet, opulent and concentrated; very ripe and smooth in the middle. This really fills the mouth. Finishes with sweet, even tannins and very good persistence. Far better than the wishy-washy '99, and seemingly riper and richer than the '98. This may surpass the excellent '95 bottling.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
After several less than stellar performances, the 2000 has turned out well. Aromas of sweet kirsch liqueur intermixed with blackberries, underbrush, and plums jump from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple-colored 2000. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and structured, with a certain kinky/exotic earthiness, this is the finest Certan de May produced over recent years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Aromas of sweet kirsch liqueur intermixed with blackberries, underbrush, and plums jump from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple-colored 2000. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and structured, this is the finest Certan de May produced over recent years. Curiously, it does not reveal the firm, tough tannin found in many top Pomerols. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at The Sampler wine shop in London. The nose here takes several minutes to unfurl but it is worth the wait. Blackberry, tobacco, bacon fat, autumn bonfire and just a hint of nutmeg. Very Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied, a little sharp on the entry, notes of red-cherry, earth, leather, a touch of black pepper more towards the finish. This Certan-de-May has good weight and very natural, although I think the more recent vintages have demonstrated more backbone and chutzpah. Tasted June 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Unfortunately, I don’t own this wine, so I couldn’t confirm these disappointing tastings with a bottle from my cellar, but nothing seemed suspicious in both tastings of the 2000 Certan de May, such as cooked or badly stored wines. There were definitely some herbaceous, mushroomy fruit notes, with some cedar wood and spice box. In the mouth, the leanness, slight austerity, and lack of concentration, texture, and overall quality seemed very obvious in both tastings, conducted about three weeks apart. This is a 2000 where I would have to say my earlier rating was way off.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of my favorite estates, Certain de May has rebounded powerfully after several undistinguished performances in the late nineties. The 2000's deep ruby/purple color is followed by scents of overripe tomatoes, blackberries, plums, underbrush, and a Rhone-like garrigue character. This successful, but surprisingly atypical 2000 is fat, fleshy, and soft, with low acidity and a corpulent personality. Flavors of new saddle leather, ketchup, and roasted meats intermingle in an exotic, spicy style. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Pomerol off-line at The Ledbury. This is a slightly disappointing wine given the vintage. It has a rather austere, leafy bouquet with touches of tobacco and beetroot. The palate is medium-bodied with course tannins, touches of cedar, leather and crushed stone, but missing some depth and weight towards the somewhat unyielding finish. I suspect this will never come round really enamour itself. Drink now-2015. Tasted September 2010.
About the Producer
Château Certan de May (or to use its full name, Château Certan de May de Certan) is a critically well-regarded wine estate in Pomerol on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, known for its highly sought-after Merlot-based red wine. The De May (or Demay) family were said to be of Scottish origin, but had lived in France since the Middle Ages, and in Pomerol since the late 1500s. The family became masters of the fief of Sertan, the oldest vineyard in the district. This area also covered the modern vineyards of Vieux Château Certan (which lies just over the road from the winery building) and Château Certan-Giraud (since renamed Château Hosanna), but was divided up after the French Revolution. Since the death of the last de May in 1925, the estate has been owned by the Barreau-Badar family and is currently managed by Jean-Luc Barreau. The vineyard covers five hectares (12 acres), with 70 percent planted to Merlot, 25 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged for 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, with 60-80 percent new oak. Around 2000 cases are produced each year.
1967(1)1988(1)1990(3)
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