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Sitting in the lounge of Bordeaux airport as we waited to fly home after the primeur tasting and the inevitable question comes up: “If you could only buy one wine for the cellar this year, which would it be?” Whilst others were mentioned, VCC was one of the top contenders. This goes so much further than the general perception of the vintage, it is a superlative wine. Alexandre Thienpont positively purred as he talked about the wine and its style. He loves his old Cabernet Franc vines which provide the velvet texture to this sensual beauty. Violet, peony, plum and damson scents leaps from the glass. So full of energy, with a subtle herbal edge, the darker Merlot Morello cherry and mocha flavours fill the mid-palate and the finely tuned grainy tannins, provide authority and complexity. Fantastic.
A blend of 71% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2024 Vieux Château Certan opens in the glass with brooding aromas of dark berries, cedar, cigar wrapper, crushed mint and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, with good density for the vintage and sweet structuring tannins, it concludes with a sapid, slightly earthy finish. Yields after annual sorting came in at 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine is being matured in two-thirds new barriques.
The 2024 Vieux Château Certan is a delicate, elegant wine driven by its strong floral component from the significant presence of Cabernets in the blend this year. Silky tannins add to an impression of restraint. I can't remember tasting a young VCC with this equilibrium, one that approaches a Burgundian textural feel, for lack of a better word. The 2024 opens with a bit of time in the glass, but it is a decidedly understated, calm VCC. I can't wait to see how it ages.
A really classic VCC with such delicious, crunchy fruit, showing blackberries, blueberries, violets and dried spices. Medium-bodied, vivid and lively, it has very fine tannins as well as energy and brilliance. So balanced and harmonious. A blend of 71% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 9% cabernet sauvignon.
Fragrant and floral. Some sweetness on attack then persistent line and length. Less flesh than some years but juicy, fine and balanced. Very pure. (JL)
Sitting in the lounge of Bordeaux airport as we waited to fly home after the primeur tasting and the inevitable question comes up: “If you could only buy one wine for the cellar this year, which would it be?” Whilst others were mentioned, VCC was one of the top contenders. This goes so much further than the general perception of the vintage, it is a superlative wine. Alexandre Thienpont positively purred as he talked about the wine and its style. He loves his old Cabernet Franc vines which provide the velvet texture to this sensual beauty. Violet, peony, plum and damson scents leaps from the glass. So full of energy, with a subtle herbal edge, the darker Merlot Morello cherry and mocha flavours fill the mid-palate and the finely tuned grainy tannins, provide authority and complexity. Fantastic.
Violet ruby with a vibrant rim, reflects the savoury vivid quality of the vintage in the wines that deliver. Clear chamomile tea, fragrant white blossom, redcurrant, blueberry, a touch of austerity and reserve compared to the past few vintages, but with purity and finesse, mouthwatering finish, 30hl/h yield, 3.7ph, harvest 20 September to 2 October. 3.70 pH, and a high Cabernet character in the final blend (despite one block less of Cabernet Franc after replanting), 66% new oak. An enjoyable wine from Alexandre Thienpont.
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.
