Wine Advisor
Vieux Chateau Certan 1986
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This was the weakest wine in a horizontal 1986 tasting for me. Deep garnet core. Nose is a bit mean with green pepper notes. Slightly herbaceous on the palate. Lighter body than I anticipated with a weak finish. Tasted March 2002.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This wine is one of the finest efforts from Bordeaux's right bank in the 1986 vintage. The wine remains deep ruby-colored, with a complex nose suggesting cedar wood, fruitcake, Asian spices, roasted herbs, and black currants. In the mouth, there is moderate tannin as well as impressively concentrated flavors that roll across all the palate's sweet spots. Medium to full-bodied and rich, this 1986 admirably marries power with finesse. The wine is still youthful, but is soft and developed enough to be enjoyed immensely. Anticipated maturity: Now-2012. Last tasted 3/96
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Bipin Desai’s VCC vertical in Los Angeles. I was quite scathing about this wine in 2002, but here the ‘86 showed better. A slightly deeper colour than the ‘85 VCC and the 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is tangible on the sous-bois-dominated nose with touches of smoke and cigar box. It develops nicely in the glass over the course of 30 minutes. The palate is medium-bodied, masculine, dry tannins; firm and rather serious. Obvious notes of tobacco and cedar toward the finish with some attractive Cabernet Franc. Its virtue is that it remains fresh with good delineation, but it is reluctant to impart pleasure. Drink now-2014. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Certain austerity and Medoc-like firmness has always fooled me with this wine in blind tastings. The color remains a very healthy deep ruby, and the nose of black currants, cherries, spice box, cedar, and mineral clearly seems more Medooc-like than Pomerol. In the mouth, its firm tannin is still present. The wine has a certain youthful vibrancy because of good acidity and outstanding purity. It is a young, still somewhat unformed, but very promising wine on the way up. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2016. Last tasted, 1/02.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1986 Vieux Château Certan was the first vintage whereby Alexandre Thienpont felt that he had control of the vineyard and the winemaking. It has a very Cabernet-driven bouquet, to the extent that I actually miss the contribution of the Merlot - just a little one-dimensional. The palate is better with grainy tannins, hints of soy infusing the red fruit, quite masculine with perhaps a finish that needs more charm. Tasted at the Vieux Château Certan dinner at La Trompette.
About the Producer
Among all the Pomerol appellations, Vieux Chateau Certan is one of the oldest, and even Petrus is a latecomer to it. It was called "Sertan" by the Portuguese, meaning desert, poor land and unsuitable for growing crops, but the soil was very suitable for growing grapes. Over time, the name "Sertan" evolved into the homonym "Certan", which is part of the winery's name to this day. The vineyard of Château de la Vieux Sedan covers approximately 14 hectares and is divided into 23 plots. The upper layer of the vineyard is about 30 cm of clayey gravel, while the iron-bearing clay is in the lower layer of the soil. The grape varieties planted are predominantly Merlot (about 70%), with Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) making up the rest of the vineyard. The average age of the vines is about 50 years. The harvest is rigorous, with fermentation taking place in temperature-controlled oak barrels and aging in 2/3 new oak barrels, while some vintages, such as 1987, are 100% new oak and aged for 18-22 months. The wines of Old Sedan are made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a stylistic departure from the absolute dominance of Merlot in Pomerol. Old Sedan is the most similar to the Medoc style in Pomerol, with a color that is usually less intense, but with firm tannins and a robust body. After a few years of ageing, it is sweet, mineral and perfectly smooth, with a strong persistence in the mouth. The old Sedan has a unique and flawless structure, the new wine has a rather prominent charred leathery taste and the tannins take at least 5 years to soften. The mature wine has concentrated flavors and a perfect balance, not as "powerful" as Château Petrus, but a perfect combination of strength and softness, a unique Pomerol wine.
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