Vieux Château Certan, 2025
Vieux Château Certan, 2025
- 75cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Please note, en primeur wines are not available for delivery until they arrive in the UK
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Est. delivery in 2028
Vieux Château Certan sits at the very pinnacle of Pomerol, a legendary estate that bridges the gap between Pétrus and Le Pin with its own distinctive voice. This is Merlot-dominated Bordeaux at its most refined, grown on the plateau's gravelly-clay soils that give VCC its signature combination of power and elegance.
What the critics say:
"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, extractdriven sweetness, black berry jam, a hint of licorice, ripe, substantial tannins, a subtle chocolate note on the finish, very good length, assured aging potential."
"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)."
"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."
"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."
The vineyards occupy prime real estate on Pomerol's famous plateau, with deep gravel over blue clay that provides excellent drainage while retaining moisture. This unique soil combination, along with the maritime climate moderated by the nearby Dordogne River, creates ideal conditions for Merlot to achieve both power and finesse. The gravelly surface reflects heat during the day whilst the clay subsoil prevents water stress, resulting in wines of remarkable complexity and longevity.
Pomerol is Bordeaux's smallest and most exclusive appellation, covering just 800 hectares on the Right Bank. Unlike the Médoc, there's no official classification here, but properties like Vieux Château Certan sit firmly at the top tier alongside Pétrus and Le Pin. The appellation is dominated by Merlot, which thrives in the clay-rich soils and produces wines of remarkable elegance and aging potential, typically more approachable in youth than their Left Bank counterparts but equally age-worthy.
The 2025 Bordeaux vintage emerged from one of the most demanding growing seasons in recent memory — the earliest budbreak since 1989, June temperatures second only to 2003 since records began, and an unusually early harvest beginning in August for the whites. Conditions that should have produced heavy, overripe wines. They didn't. Decanter's Georgie Hindle, who tasted close to 200 wines ahead of the formal campaign, describes "exceptional concentration, aromatic purity and a freshness that contradicts the record-breaking heat.
The early critical consensus places 2025 stylistically between the precision of 2020 and the structure of 2016, with the brightness of 2023 — a combination that suggests a very serious vintage indeed. Yields are dramatically low, the smallest crop since 1991, with production across the Gironde running around 15% below the five-year average. The quality is here. There simply isn't very much of it.
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Vieux Château Certan
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