Wine Advisor
Vieux Chateau Certan 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A brilliant effort from Alexandre Thienpont, the 2006 Vieux Chateau Certan is atypically high in Merlot (85%), with the rest Cabernet Franc. A huge bouquet of cedar, coffee, black currants, cherries, and pain grille soars from the glass of this full-bodied, opulent, fleshy, lavishly endowed Pomerol. Yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare resulted in a production of only 3,000 cases. A bulked-up, improved version of the brilliant 1990, the 2006 should be at its peak between 2010-2030, and should eclipse their 2005. Bravo!
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. The VCC ’06 is open an expressive on the nose with bright red-berried fruit, redcurrant, cranberry, orange zest and crushed stones. The palate is medium-bodied, firm tannins, good acidity with very focused and poised on the long finish that unfurls beautifully with aeration. There is such a surfeit of finesse and joie-de-vivre. Beautiful wine from Alexandre Thienpont. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Alexandre Thienpont is on a roll here: this is one of the finest Pomerol’s of the Appellation and could offer more quality per penny spent than any other. A gorgeous, opulent nose explodes from the glass and to be honest, you are in love straight away. Sweet black fruits laced with fig and dates, all with brilliant definition. The palate is very intense with rich, black fruits, slightly grainy tannins and wonderful poise. Blackberry, black tea, minerals and a touch of Xmas cake. Very intellectual, an utterly compelling Pomerol to treasure. Tasted April 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the top wines of the vintage is the exquisite 2006 Vieux Chateau Certan. A blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, it is a stunningly rich effort boasting an inky/blue/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of forest floor, coffee, toast, and extravagant levels of black currants and blackberries. Hints of charcoal and flowers add to the wine’s exquisite character. What’s remarkable in this full-bodied wine is that nearly 100% new oak is used, yet the oak is largely drowned out by the wine’s concentration and complex personality. This full-bodied Vieux Chateau Certan should be reasonably approachable in 3-4 years but last for at least three decades. This great success merits kudos to proprietor Alexandre Thienpont.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Bipin Desai’s VCC vertical in Los Angeles. The ‘06 VCC continues a brilliant run of form for Alexandre Thienpont. A deep garnet core with great fruit intensity on the nose: black cherries, fruitcake with subtle hints of fresh fig and a touch of iodine. Great definition and clarity and precocious for a 2006. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, richesse, slightly earthy towards the confident, assertive finish that is unresolved compared to the ‘05. I will temper my score slightly compared to my ebullient showing out of barrel, but do not be surprised if it merits a couple more points down the line. This is a supremely well-crafted Pomerol from what I feel will be an under-rated vintage. Drink 2018-2035. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2006 Vieux Château Certan has quite an "airy" and well-defined nose that seems to side with the Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon. Brambly red fruit intermingles with pencil lead and subtle slate aromas. The palate is medium-bodied and feels cohesive. Fine grip, quite sturdy with a dense finish, perhaps it has dispensed with some of the precision that it exuded in its youth. I came away asking: where will it go? Tasted at The Savoy Bordeaux 2006 dinner organized by Goedhuis.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good full red-ruby. Very sexy aromas and flavors of black raspberry, blackberry, roasted coffee, violet and licorice. Lush, silky and highly concentrated, with an utterly seamless texture to the middle palate. Wonderfully, ripe, broad, merlot-based wine; solid as a rock but utterly pliant. Finishes with captivating lingering sweetness, the broad tannins completely buffered by the wine's ripe fruit. I sucked up my bottle of this elixir with great pleasure, but it has the stuffing for long aging.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(tasted from cuve; 75% merlot) Good dark red. Sappy aromas of maraschino cherry, chocolate and spicy oak. Sappy and chocolatey-rich but with excellent verve and grip; showing as much red fruits as black today. A distinctly chewy wine, finishing with big, sweet, dusty tannins and lingering notes of chocolate and spice. Alexandre Thienpont did not treat against rot in 2006 and ultimately brought in a very small crop. I lost the equivalent of 2,000 cases of wine, he told me.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc) Bright ruby-red. Dark berry, violet and licorice aromas complemented by sexy oak. Sweet, velvety and impeccably balanced, with impressive breadth to its berry and dark chocolate flavors. Wonderfully plush, unforced wine. At 13.5% alcohol, it's the highest ever for VCC. Some lots of young-vines merlot reached 15.2%, but were declassified into the estate's second wine, noted Thienpont.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintners' horizontal, the 2006 Vieux Château Certan remains an outstanding proposition. It has an airy red cherry and raspberry bouquet, a hint of bergamot tea in the background, succinctly defined, even if the fruit needs some encouragement from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. The acidity is well judged, harmonious in the mouth, quite smooth with hints of truffle oil and white pepper towards the composed, quite sensual finish. Give this a couple of more years in bottle and then it should drink well for at least a couple of decades. Tasted April 2016.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2006 Vieux Château Certan has quite an "airy" and well-defined nose that seems to side with the Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon. Brambly red fruit intermingles with pencil lead and subtle slate aromas. The palate is medium-bodied and feels cohesive. Fine grip, quite sturdy with a dense finish, perhaps it has dispensed with some of the precision that it exuded in its youth. I came away asking: where will it go? Tasted at The Savoy Bordeaux 2006 dinner organized by Goedhuis.
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
