Wine Critic
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Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol (Minimum order: 6 bottle case) FUTURES 2025 Pre-Arrival
Producer Notes
Vieux Château Certan combines savoir-faire with exceptional soils. Coming mainly from the vineyard’s oldest vines, Vieux Château Certan is every year a blend of the most excellent lots produced at the estate. The brilliance of the wine’s hue, the richness of its aromas and the subtlety of its flavour bring it inimitable style. The wines of Vieux Château Certan possess natural concentration and require a few years’ cellaring before the first bottles can be opened. As with the greatest Bordeaux wines, they can be enjoyed after 10 to 15 years of age.
Vineyard Notes
With a surface area of 14 hectares (35 acres) planted in one single block, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard is made up of 23 plots, each of them individually managed according to soil type, grape variety planted, and age of vines. The soils are subtly varied and contain a very clayey part planted mainly with Merlot (70%), a gravel-clay part planted with Cabernet Franc (25%) and a very gravelly part planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Taking into account the total surface area, the average age of the vineyard is 50 years. These old vines, together with the beneficial effect of the Pomerol plateau’s micro-climate, enable the different grape varieties to reach perfect
Winemaking
The vinifications are carried out in temperature-controlled oak vats. We regulate them at 28°C to ensure a gentle, measured extraction. Inside the cellars, materials and equipment have been chosen with meticulous care in order to provide the best possible conditions for both the wine and the environment.
Ageing
After three and a half weeks of vatting and gentle extraction, followed by a rapid malo-lactic transformation, the wine is today undergoing its ageing in barrels, two-thirds of which are new.
Vintage Notes
The 2025 growing season was characterized by a very dry summer, which gave the Vieux Château Certan grapes great intensity, structure and depth that are the hallmarks of great vintages. The mild and dry final days of winter favored early budbreak at the end of March. A balanced inflorescence quantity, complemented by an average number of flowers and impeccable vine health, suggested a moderately sized harvest. From mid-June onward, a very dry summer began, punctuated by periods of intense heat, particularly in August. At the end of the month, some welcome rainfall rehydrated the vines which were under significant water stress. This accelerated the final stages of ripening.
Critic tasting notes: (2025 vintage)
"Deep, dark ruby-garnet color, opaque core, violet highlights, delicate lightening at the rim. Delicate notes of black cherries, a hint of strawberry jam, ripe plums, a touch of candied orange zest, underpinned by delicate nougat. Complex, extract-driven sweetness, black berry jam, a hint of licorice, ripe, substantial tannins, a subtle chocolate note on the finish, very good length, assured aging potential." - Falstaff (99/100)
"Violets, iris, black cherries, blue fruits, chocolate, cocoa, licorice, mint leaves, and truffles create the wine's complex aromatics. However, it is on the palate that the wine truly steals the show. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated, opulent, and palate-staining, the wine coats your mouth, teeth, and gums with layers of plums and cherries drenched in dark chocolate. The finish is intense, long, full, rich, deep, and seamless, and you will notice it in your glass. Part of the wine's success in 2025 was blending fruit from young vines planted in 2015, which helped achieve the drinkability you already find in your glass. The wine blends 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% ABV, 3.75 pH. The harvest took place September 8 - September 18. Yields were only 22 hectoliters. Drink from 2030-2065." - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (99/100)
"Subtle and pure, with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, pencil shavings and touches of raspberries, flowers, oyster shells and iodine. Medium-bodied with subtle and integrated tannins that run the length of the wine and make you want to drink it. The length and finesse are sublime. A mineral, stone and light cement texture. It grows beautiful in the great finish. 80% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon." - James Suckling (98-99/100)
