2017 Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol

Pre-Arrival

98JD

98JS

98VN

98WS

96-98RP

96WE

$299.99

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Jeb Dunnuck

Reviewed February 2020

Possibly the wine of the vintage, the 2017 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 81% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from the highest point on the Pomerol plateau. Deep purple, with a heavenly bouquet of creme de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, crushed violets, tobacco, and earth, this beauty is full-bodied, has incredible depth of fruit, ripe, present tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This estate has been on fire of late, and this is undoubtedly a worthy follow-on to the otherworldly 2015 and 2016. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer pleasure even today, yet a solid 7-8 years of cellaring are warranted, and it should be long-lived. Bravo!

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Professional Reviews

James Suckling

Review Date: 01/2020

The purity and complexity is so mesmerizing for 2017. Raspberries and black fruit with sweet-tobacco and blood-orange undertones. Medium to full body. The tannins are so polished and pure and push out the edges on the wine. Fresh and pretty. Deep. Needs two or three years to perfect it.

Vinous

Review Date: 03/2020

Just as it was en primeur, the 2017 Vieux Château Certan is regal and soaring right out of the glass. Inky blue and purplish fruit, chocolate, licorice, lavender, spice and mint come together in a dense, dark and powerful Pomerol. The 2017 is an explosive, vivid wine of monastic beauty. In this vintage, VCC is especially dark and somber, which adds to a real feeling of mysterious beauty. It is a towering achievement from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. (AG)

Wine Spectator

Review Date: 03/2020

This delivers a terrific rush of raspberry ganache and steeped plum fruit that holds center stage throughout, flanked by singed apple wood and dried anise notes and backed on the finish by hints of Lapsang souchong tea, warm fruitcake and mineral. A step ahead of the pack in this vintage. *Collectibles* (JM)

Staff Reviews

Ryan Moses

K&L Buyer

Easily one of the wines of the vintage, although perhaps no surprise considering the immense quality of VCC these days. Aromatically it wasn't giving much, but it was explosive on the palate with waves of bright black and red fruits. The wine finishes with incredibly defined, dusty tannins that add to an extremely complex and layered wine. The pedigree is undeniable here and it will be an ageworthy wine to follow for a few decades.

Notes

94 points Neal Martin for Vinous: "The 2017 Vieux Château Certan was bottled at the end of May. It has a perfumed, slightly tertiary bouquet with blackberry, wild heather and just a touch of menthol. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannins on the entry, mainly dark black fruit, rather introverted at the moment that just needs bottle age to show what it can be. Veins of dark chocolate towards the finish, I appreciate the structure of this VCC and the freshness it shows towards the overtly saline, Japanese nori tinged finish. Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont have overseen a very assured and captivating Pomerol that will age gracefully over many years." (02/2020)

Details

Origin	Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Type/Varietal	Merlot
SKU	1367014