Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuiswaddesdon.com.
An extraordinary array of aromatics in this stellar 2025. Deep, dark glossy Maraschino cherries with macerated, crushed almost coulis-like dark raspberries on the nose. The impact of the Cabernet Franc is evident this year with an amazing floral edge lifting the whole thing, with raspberry leaf, menthol, and a touch of white pepper. An amazing show of power, delicacy and intricacy in perfect balance. Such a long finish too, one that followed us into the car park. Excellent work here.
The 2025 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 8 to 15 at 22 hl/ha and includes two conjoining parcels normally used for the La Gravette. It is raised in two-thirds new oak, the remainder one-year-old. The Merlot sculpts the bouquet with perfumed red cherries, raspberry, cassis and pressed violet scents that gain intensity in the glass. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, with powdery tannins on the entry. This must be one of the most peppery VCCs that I have tasted, poivre noir from the Cabernet Franc component. Quite structured, with chalky tannins on the finish, almost as if it came from more limestone soil. Not a crowd pleaser like the 2022, but an intellectual, vertical VCC that will flesh out in barrel. 14.01% alcohol. Drink 2033-2060
Bursting with aromas of violets, crème de cassis, dark berries and creamy new oak, the 2025 Vieux Château Certan is medium- to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a sun-kissed core of fruit, ripe acids and a dense, unctuous palate, concluding with a heady finish. A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is quite serious and structured, with sweet tannin, and it checks in at 14% alcohol.
The 2025 Vieux Château Certan is not in the mood to show all its cards. Today, the 2025 shows tons of textural richness and body, but not quite the delineation or energy of the best vintages. Black-toned fruit, gravel, incense, mocha and chocolate are generous in the glass. Ripeness feels pushed to the edge, with fruit perhaps picked a bit later than ideal. But this is a barrel sample, with the wine racked just three weeks prior to my visit. I won't be surprised if this shows better from bottle, but today, this is my impression. Drink 2035-2075.
80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 22 hl/ha. Cask sample. Fragrant and floral, the Cabernet amplifying the aroma. Tannins abundant but like cashmere in texture. Lively and invigorating with plenty of energy. Drink 2035-2055
An extraordinary array of aromatics in this stellar 2025. Deep, dark glossy Maraschino cherries with macerated, crushed almost coulis-like dark raspberries on the nose. The impact of the Cabernet Franc is evident this year with an amazing floral edge lifting the whole thing, with raspberry leaf, menthol, and a touch of white pepper. An amazing show of power, delicacy and intricacy in perfect balance. Such a long finish too, one that followed us into the car park. Excellent work here.
Fragrant, full of energy, dense with silky tannins, steals up on you as it opens, and this is a gorgeous wine that deserves attention. Chamomile, cumin, cassis, blackberry, cocoa bean, espresso, fresh thyme, tobacco, layered and luscious. This really stayed with me, and I absolutely recommend it, one of the wines of Pomerol in the vintage. Harvest September 8 to 18. Estate signature, 22hl/h yield, 3.75ph. The first year with Guillaume Thienpont fully in charge, although still working alongside his father Alexandre (who began with his own father in 1985).
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.
