Wine Advisor
Vieux Chateau Certan 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2009's nearly 14% natural alcohol, exquisite ripeness, and incredible complex bouquet of Asian spices, fruitcake, licorice, smoke, blackberries and black currants are to die for. A blend of 84% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it possesses a viscous texture as well as a freshness and vibrancy that are remarkable given the wine’s weight, richness and potential massiveness. This extraordinary effort is one of the finest Vieux Chateau Certans made over the last sixty years. It will undoubtedly shut down in bottle, requiring a decade or more of cellaring. It should keep for 50 years thereafter. Proprietor Thienpont thinks it is a modern day version of the 1948. As I wrote in my barrel tasting notes, the 2009 ranks alongside four of the legendary vintages of Vieux Chateau Certan’s ancient past, 1945, 1947, 1948 and 1950. It is undoubtedly a cleaner wine than those older vintages, and the selection process under proprietor Alexandre Thienpont was far more severe in 2009 than it would have been sixty years ago.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The VCC ’09 is a blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, cropped from 21st September until 2nd October, offering 13.7% alcohol and a pH of 3.7. It has a ripe, lifted bouquet of blackberry, black plum, graphite and raspberry, but boy, do I miss that Cabernet Franc that Alexandre felt did not reach full maturity when he made the assemblage (the same happened in 1998.) The palate is medium-bodied, firm tannins, the Merlot doing its utmost to compensate for the Cabernet Franc. Good weight, notes of blackberry, a touch of white pepper and a citric thread of acidity, the finish just a little foursquare but opening and deepening with time. This is a very fine VCC, but not the profound Pomerol it might have been. Tasted April 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, subtle smoke, charcoal, Christmas spices, and licorice. Massive, unctuously textured, and rich, but at the same time refreshing and vibrant, this extraordinary effort appears to be the finest Vieux Chateau Certan made in my lifetime. (Tasted once.) Proprietor Alexandre Thienpont told me he has never seen such weather and perfect grapes, and that one would have to go back as far as his grandfather’s time to find another weather scenario that so benefitted Bordeaux. With an off-the-chart index of tannin, with alcohol levels of 13.7 to 14 percent, and normal pH of 3.7, Vieux Chateau Certan has produced a 2009 that is equal to their four greatest vintages - 1945, 1947, 1948, and 1950.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted with Alexandre Thienpont, the 2009 contains 86% Merlot which he compares to the 1950 vintage. As I mentioned in my report, one parcel of Cabernet Franc was deselected, ditto for the 2010 although it is back for the 2011. The nose is reticent at first, but with vigorous shaking that Merlot really soars from the glass with scents of wild strawberry, raspberry coulis, a touch of vanilla and hints of crushed stone. Very pure with fine delineation. The palate is silky smooth, the Cabernet Sauvignon lending real backbone with great precision on the finish. Very precise and long. Excellent. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Merlot is completely in the driving seat here: fragrant and floral with rose petals, boysenberry fruit and a touch of leather. The palate is well balanced with good density, the tannins a little more succulent than its peers and the style erring more towards Saint Emilion. But it is very well balanced with a lavish, stylish finish. Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(a blend of 84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon; 13.7% alcohol; pH 3.70; a 70% selection) Bright ruby-red. Aromas of strawberry, cocoa and minerals. Then very smooth, rich and sweet in the mouth, with fresh flavors of red berries, black cherry and cedar. Very nicely balanced but this will require time to reveal its inherent complexity. Finishes impressively long and clean, with a big but supple tannic structure. Alexandre Thienpont told me he had the same problem in 2009 as he had in '98, when the cabernet franc didn't ripen fully, though he's not sure why-hence the very low percentage of franc in the blend.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Vieux-Château-Certan has a gorgeous bouquet with red fruit, warm bricks, just a hint of sloes and rose petals. The palate is medium-bodied with tarry red fruit, firm tannin and well judged acidity. It tapers in slightly towards the finish where I would like a little more roundness but there is persistence here. Readers know I am huge fan of Alexandre Thienpont and this property, but I aver that this growing season never suited them. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright medium-deep ruby. Musky aromas of red plum, blackcurrant, cocoa and tobacco leaf. Juicy, sappy and rather stylish on the palate, combining pepper and herb qualities with a subtle touch of sweetness. Not a hugely concentrated wine but amazingly well balanced and silky, and with insidious depth of flavor. Finishes with suave, spreading tannins.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Vieux Château Certan, which has a similar blend to the 1998, was cropped at 40hl/ha. It is fascinating to compare this directly with the preceding vintage. This is ripe and concentrated with black cherries, wild mint and licorice. Typical 2009 Right Bank in style. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, fleshy with a strong savory element mixed with brown spices. I maintain that this is more a 2009 than a VCC, which is why I am prudent with my score and juxtaposed it against the following vintage: there's only one winner. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium.
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
