Wine Advisor
Vieux Chateau Certan 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A remarkable blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc has produced a Medoc-styled Pomerol exhibiting a deep ruby/purple hue, a sweet bouquet of roasted herbs, licorice, toasty vanilla, and plenty of black currants as well as truffles. It is a rich, classic effort with abundant tannin, good acidity, and impeccable purity and balance. Always a restrained, reserved style of wine, but it delivers considerable complexity, and ages brilliantly. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030+.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A very different VCC compared to 2004, since there is a much higher Merlot content (80 percent). This was due to a parcel of Cabernet Franc not coming up to scratch and being declassified into the Second wine. The nose is therefore dominated by Merlot, quite Saint Emilion in character with sweet ripe red berried fruits, minerals and hedgerow. The palate is more silky than usual, very concentrated and becomes more typically Pomerol towards the finish, which expands or "fans-out", rather than the more linear 2004. Savory aftertaste: great length. Superb. Tasted April 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Sweet scents of mulberries, black currants, and cherries intertwined with notes of herbs, licorice, and pain grille emerge from this lovely Pomerol. The wine comes across as reserved, but there is impressive extract, tannin, and glycerin in the long finish. Made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2005 is a structured, elegant, potentially complex and noble Vieux Chateau Certan. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030+.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Farr’s 2005 dinner in Hong Kong. I thought that Alexandre Thienpont had fashioned an exceptional wine out of barrel, though subsequent bottles have not quite lived up to that promise…until now. It is still quite backward and primal on the broody, almost introspective nose, yet it opens up with hints of black truffle and crushed stone. There is something almost feral and animally here (but not brett!) The palate is medium-bodied with a rigid, steely structure, the Cabernet Franc lending this real backbone and tension. Long in the mouth, it has fantastic length and precision. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Pomerol tasting at the Antique Wine Company. Alexandre Thienpont fashioned an impressive ’05 that I have been fortunate enough to taste multiple times. It has a strict, linear and primal nose that remain broody, with hints of crushed stone and truffle that emerge with time. The palate is supremely well balanced with crushed stone, expressive Cabernet Franc and a wonderful, structured finish that is very persistent in the mouth. This needs another four or five years to reach its plateau. Tasted December 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Southwold. This VCC seems to have closed down. The fruits is rather subdued on the nose although some decanting would have allowed it to blossom Quite tannic and masculine on the palate, good acidity, a slight savoury, earthy edge, rather angular on the finish but it does have good freshness and vitality. Good potential, but not suited to blind conditions where it does not have time to unfurl. Tasted January 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Bipin Desai’s VCC vertical in Los Angeles. The ‘05 VCC has an almost decadent nose compared to the ‘04, surfeit with opulent ripe blackberries, cassis, iodine and black olives. Great definition, I have a feeling that this will turn into a ravishing, exotic bouquet in 5-6 years time (it does not appear to be closing down like the 2000 has.) The palate displays wonderful balance, vibrant acidity with hints of Xmas cake and fresh figs towards the refined, concentrated finish. It does not evolve so much in the glass, just softens slightly but retaining amazing vibrancy and purity. A textbook VCC for the long-term. Drink 2018-2040+. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(80% merlot) Bright ruby-red. Very closed nose hints at licorice and nutty oak. Sweet and broad in the mouth, with a chocolatey ripeness but less energy and grip than the 2006. This is more mouthfilling, and more sexy today in the middle palate, but may ultimately be less complex. Or is it just more reserved today? Finishes with substantial tannins that call for at least several years of aging.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc; tasted from barrel following the fining) Good deep red. Nose dominated by bitter chocolate, licorice and spices. Juicy and intensely flavored, with a serious structure for a merlot-dominated wine. Just a slight roasted character to give away that it's from a hot, dry year. Lovely lingering flavors of milk chocolate and spice. Perhaps a bit flattened by the recent fining.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright, deep ruby-red. Aromas of dark berries, licorice, bitter chocolate and toasty oak. Very fresh and tightly wound, with a superb core of primary black fruit flavor. Highly concentrated but currently closed in on itself and dominated by the oak. Best today on the finish, where the density and breadth of the wine are apparent and the tannins are serious but sweet. A wonderfully stylish, vibrant merlot-dominated wine. The crop level in 2005 was 39 hectoliters per hectare, according to Thienpont, who describes this wine as very Pomerol.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A stunning effort from Alexander Thienpont, the 2005 Vieux Chateau Certan (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) reveals an inky/blue/purple color along with a rich, sumptuous perfume of black olives, lavender, roasted herbs, licorice, pain grille, and oodles of truffles as well as creme de cassis. In the mouth, hints of chocolate and charcoal also make an appearance along with good acidity, fabulous purity, and a full-bodied, powerful mouthfeel. In keeping with the style of this terroir, the wine is reserved and restrained, but deep. It should develop magnificently, and age for 30-40 years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Vieux Château Certan blossoms beautifully in the glass, but only after having been opened for several hours. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet herbs, anise and spice make a strong first impression. The 2005 is a VCC that makes its case more on finesse than power. I appreciate the understated, classy style quite a bit. Even so, the 2005 is not at the level of the best wines here. I suspect the 2005 will age gracefully for several decades to come, if not considerably longer. Tasted two times.
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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Package Size
12 x 75cl
