Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, 2016 Tasting notes

Owner Alexandre Thienpont smiled when he told me about how the vintage 2016 was saved twice by merciful rain showers. First in September and later again in October. Two out of three lots of the Cabernet Franc didn’t make it into the final blend. Thienpont took parcel-selection to the next level. Even within parcels each and every vine was studied and marked with a painted code. Harvesting took place in waves of picking of the similarly marked vines, creating even more precision in ripeness. Thienpont compares this with top sports like auto racing: “10 years ago we went very fast but nowadays we keep all that is good but with new technology we can drive even faster. We keep technology that is good, that works, and take care of even more details every year. In a great year nature gives us everything. Well. Everything? Let’s say 85%. That leaves just 15% for our influence. Having said that, this 15% that we do, still is very important.” He concludes with a modest smile.

Vieux Chateau Certan (19,5 points)
[85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon]

Beautiful shiny clear red color. The nose is fresh, flawless complex and precise. On the palate there is an explosion of red and black fruit. A superb freshness combines wonderfully with perfectly ripe, elegant tannins, providing a backbone structure without dominating the wine. Extremely long. The wine stays with you for minutes. A complete absence of any vegetal notes. A great VCC for the long term. If you like VCC this wine is a must-have for your cellar.