2025 Vieux Château Certan
"The length and finesse are sublime...98-99 points." JamesSuckling.com, May '26
"This really stayed with me, and I absolutely recommend it, one of the wines of Pomerol in the vintage...98 points." Jane Anson, Apr '26
Released today for sale en primeur, 2025 Vieux Château Certan is offered at £810 per six bottles. It scores as high as 98-99 points, from Suckling, but this is one of those wines that defies definition by numbers. For us, Jane Anson captures the complexity of this VCC, with her tasting note referring to sublte aromas of "Chamomile, cumin, cassis, blackberry, cocoa bean, espresso, fresh thyme", and tobacco". These herbal and savoury notes make for a restrained, intellectual and elegant wine that will take time to develop. We feel confident the 2025 will be upscored as it evolves.
This is the first vintage with Guillaume Thienpoint fully in charge of winemaking, although his father Alexander was very much in evidence when we visited.
Offered en primeur, landing spring 2028.
Magnums available with £25 ex-VAT bottling surcharge, please enquire for other formats.
All previous offers of 2025 Bordeaux can be found here.
Producer Profile
Vieux Château Certan
Vieux Château Certan is an estate in the commune of Pomerol. One of the oldest estates in Pomerol, it was established at the beginning of the 16th century when the Demay family arrived from Scotland to settle there. The original château was built in 1770 by Demay de Certan. The current château was built in 1858 by Charles de Bousquet. In 1924, Georges Thienpont, a Flemish wine merchant, purchased the property. Today it is owned by Alexandre Thienpont. Thienpont is committed to low-intervention winemaking, doing as little as possible to intervene in the natural expression of the fruit in the wine.
The 14 hectares of vines planted in a single block. with 23 plots, each individually managed according to soil type, grape variety planted, and age of vines. The Merlot (70%) is planted on clay soils, Cabernet Franc (25%) on gravel-clay plots and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) on mainly gravel soils. The average vine age is 50 years.
| RED | 2025 | Vieux Château Certan | 75cl | £810 per case of 6 | Vieux Château Certan 2025 / / 75cl £810 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"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. 2035 - 2075. 93-96 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"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. 94-96 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"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. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Vieux Château Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that's being raised in 66% new French oak with the balance in once-used barrels. Harvested from yields of just 22 hectoliters per hectare, it hit 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The aromatics are powerful and concentrated, with ripe black and blue fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and violets all defining the nose. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a balanced, layered mouthfeel, rock-solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's a serious Vieux Château Certan that's going to be great, but it's going to need time. 95-97+ points" jebdunnock.com------"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). 2032-2048. 98 points" janeanson.com------"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. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com |
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