Vieux Chateau Certan 2016
SKU
CCME201610 UCAU
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"The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of extraordinary beauty." Antonio Galloni
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"It’s a wine that seduces you with every sip — already." James Suckling
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"Sumptuous nose... Amazing persistence and elegance in claret mode." Jancis Robinson MW
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1 or more bottles$649.00
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Antonio Galloni100* points
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James Suckling99* points
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Neal Martin97* points
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Decanter95 points
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Jancis Robinson19 points
Editors notes
"The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of extraordinary beauty. Rich, seamless and voluptuous in the glass, it exudes sensuality in all of its dimensions." - 97-100 points, Antonio Galloni
"It’s a wine that seduces you with every sip" - 98-99 points, James Suckling
The 2016 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. "It has a very refined bouquet with blackberry, briary and morello cherries that are tightly wound at first, but open gradually with aeration... The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin. There is plenty of dark berry fruit laced with hints of earl grey and bay leaf, a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish." Neal Martin
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Blueberry
- Boysenberry
- Herbal
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Palate
- Blue Fruits
- Cassis
- Graphite
Food Pairings
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Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Antonio Galloni
100*"The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of extraordinary beauty. Rich, seamless and voluptuous in the glass, it exudes sensuality in all of its dimensions. Tasted as a hypothetical blend, the 2016 is less expressive than the separate lots were when I tasted them a few months ago. A rush of dark cherry, inky blue/purplish fruit, crushed rocks, lavender and rose petal infuses the creamy, voluptuous finish. The 2016 manages to be dense and rich, but with no excess weight. It is quite simply a remarkable wine. 97-100 points."
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James Suckling
99*"The balance and finesse to this wine are really beautiful with ultra-fine tannins and beautiful fruit. It’s full and structured yet so long and intense. It’s a wine that seduces you with every sip — already. Great selection here. Quite simply turbocharged at the end. 98-99 points."
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Neal Martin
97*"The 2016 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon that was picked at 40.50 hectoliters per hectare, in three stages of picking: 3-7, 10-11 and 17-18 October. It has a high IPT of 82 and a pH of 3.77. It has a very refined bouquet with blackberry, briary and morello cherries that are tightly wound at first, but open gradually with aeration. The Merlot is fully in control aromatically; this is not a VCC governed by the Cabernet Franc this year, consistent with the 2016 vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin. There is plenty of dark berry fruit laced with hints of earl grey and bay leaf, a complex and cerebral Pomerol with a long, precise and (to put it banally) delicious finish. This is another outstanding wine from Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. 95-97 points. Drink Date: 2022 - 2060"
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Decanter
95"This is a muscular, big wine, more so than in some years, but it is so precise and intellectual, and one of the more austere takes on the vintage at this early stage. The 2015 was more of a crowd-pleaser perhaps, but this has such a gripping, thrilling sense of well drawn out fruit wrapped up in fresh, floral layers. The tannins have an IPT of 82, but are extremely ripe, totally delicious and beautifully constructed. They found more difference between young and old vines compared to the previous year, because of the stress in the summer, so 66% of production made it into the grand vin compared to 75% in 2015. 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050 Tasted by Jane Anson"
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Jancis Robinson MW
19"85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sumptuous nose. Great lift. Real race and dancing stuff. Good structure and line. Nothing sweet or fleshy about this but lovely ripeness and nobility. Amazing persistence and elegance in claret mode. When to drink: 2025 - 2045"
Other vintages
Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.
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- Variety Cabernet Blend
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Vieux Château Certan
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Vieux Chateau Certan 2017-
Lisa Perrotti-B98 points
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Neil Martin94 points
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James Suckling98 points
$562.00
Current auction
All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.
Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.
The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.
Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.
Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.
Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.
Pomerol
Pomerol is a highly respected red wine appellation in the Bordeaux region in the south-west of France. Unlike the majority of Bordeaux, (Medoc, Graves, Sauternes and Saint-Emilion), Pomerol does not utilize a formal wine classification system.
Merlot is the dominant grape in Pomerol and plays a large part in making the wines smooth and approachable in their youth. Cabernet Franc is also often present, adding structure and an element of savory spice. There is a very high demand for this style of wine on the international market and Pomerol wines are much sought after – particularly because they are also relatively long-lived.
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Pairs Well With
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About the brand Vieux Chateau Certan
Vieux Château Certan's wines are beautifully balanced and are widely regarded as some of the finest in Bordeaux. While the estate is unclassified (as with Pomerol on the whole) it has long been recognised among the great growths of the region, by some accounts comparable to neighbouring estate Château Pétrus. The wine is made by Alexandre Thienpont, the nephew of Jacques at Le Pin who took over in 1985 and has been on his best form since 1998.
The estate covers a relatively small 14 hectares (35 acres) in one single block, surrounded by some of the best in the appellation; Petrus, Conseillante, Le Pin and L'Evangile. It's planted out to 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and is divided into 23 different parcels, allowing the estate to achieve the best possible blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc depending on vintage conditions.
Vieux Château Certan is often ranked by international tasting panels and the world's press among the finest wines. The second wine produced is La Gravette de Certan.
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