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Alexandre's 2006 is velvety and round with superfine tannins and impeccable ripeness. There is no greenness for miles.Yet, it is fantastically fresh with underlying silky minerality that finishes long and rich on creamy dark chocolate and roasted spice. A very sexy wine. Jancis Robinson questioned whether it might be wine of the vintage while Wine Spectator thought it so delicious that it "makes you want to drink it now." In this case, we'd have to concur.
Alexandre's 2006 is velvety and round with superfine tannins and impeccable ripeness. There is no greenness for miles.Yet, it is fantastically fresh with underlying silky minerality that finishes long and rich on creamy dark chocolate and roasted spice. A very sexy wine. Jancis Robinson questioned whether it might be wine of the vintage while Wine Spectator thought it so delicious that it "makes you want to drink it now." In this case, we'd have to concur.
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.
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'sremarkable 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 ChateauCertan should be reasonably approachable in 3-4 years but last for at least three decades. This great success merits kudos to proprietor Alexandre Thienpont. Drink: 2011 - 2041.
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! Drink: 2010 - 2030.
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc. They had 100mm of rain in just one weekend and 15 years ago they would have been tempted to harvest too early to avoid the rains. Yields down from 4000 cases to 3,200 this year. 34 barrels had to be left out of the assemblage as they lacked sufficient character for true VCC. Alexandre Thienpont acknowledged the great care taken over winery hygiene by an American student working during the harvest (he dismantled and cleaned just about everything that moved) and during sorting by Fiona Morrison MW (Mrs Le Pin). It was necessary to sort not just the bunches but even within the bunches. The key to this vintage was precision. Simple vinification, no overextraction, 8-10% saignée.One of the richest, spiciest noses yet in Pomerol. Very sweet and sumptuous but with lots of freshness. Silky and generous and pure!!! Great red fruit freshness. Tension and density. Close-grained and glossy. A real treat. The wine of the vintage?
The small sub-region of Pomerol is situated north-east of the industrious city of Libourne. Pomerol's soils are predominately iron-rich clay with a smattering of gravel that produce wines with extraordinary power and depth. As a result of this clay-dominance, it has the highest percentage of Merlot planted in all of Bordeaux. Certain châteaux are produced exclusively from this grape, but most incorporate smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc as well. Despite its hefty (if not exclusive) proportion of Merlot, many people think of wines from this region as separate entities. As one wine aficionado stated recently, "It's not Merlot. It's Pomerol." Despite the region's small size, Pomerol contains some of the world's most sought after (and expensive) wines including Pétrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, l'Evangile and Vieux Château Certan. Unlike other Bordelais subregions, there is no system of classification. The châteaux are traded on reputation alone.
