Vieux Château Certan, 2025 - Magnum
Vieux Château Certan, 2025 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
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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)."
"An outstanding VCC this year and one of the picks of Pomerol. Deep aromatics of dark black fruit that stays cool with some liquorice and cola, plus a soft floral fragrance and chocolate creaminess. Inky and really vibrant colour in the glass. Smooth and supple, both creamy and chalky with black fruit and a heady savoury spiced aspect. I love the stickiness – there’s a chew but it remains cool and lifted, nothing heavy, more comforting like a big hug – velvety, charming and almost sensuous. Acidity doesn't stick out, the focus is on complexity and remarkable texture with ripe tannins. Density is there yet it doesn't feel heavy. Ends so cool with lots of cola, a touch of iron and stones, fresh mint and savoury herbaceousness. Absolutely beautiful, hedonistic and so long. 3.75pH. A yield of 22hl/ha. Ageing two thirds new oak, one third one-year-old barrels."
The vineyard sits on Pomerol's elevated plateau, where the famous blue clay meets a surface layer of gravel and sand. This unique soil combination provides excellent drainage whilst retaining enough moisture for the vines during dry spells. The iron-rich subsoil, known locally as 'crasse de fer', gives the wines their distinctive mineral backbone and remarkable aging potential, setting Vieux Château Certan apart from its more opulent Pomerol neighbours.
Pomerol produces some of Bordeaux's most sought-after wines despite being the Right Bank's smallest major appellation at just 800 hectares. Unlike the Médoc, there's no official classification system here, but Vieux Château Certan consistently ranks among the top handful of estates alongside Pétrus and Le Pin. The appellation's merlot-dominated wines are prized for their velvety texture and earlier drinkability compared to Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon blends, though the best examples like VCC age magnificently for decades.
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.
OUR GROWERS
Vieux Château Certan
