Vieux Château Certan 2022
Covering 14 hectares in a single block, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard is divided into 23 independently-managed plots, according to soil type, grape variety and vine age.
With a wide variety of nuances, the soils are made up of a very clayey part planted mainly with Merlot (70%), a clay-gravel part planted with Cabernet Franc (25%) and a very gravelly part planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).
The average age of the vineyard is 50 years. These old vines, combined with the microclimate of the Pomerol plateau, enable optimal ripening of the different grape varieties.
Source: Vieux Château Certan
Vieux Château Certan 2022 is a wine of great sophistication and refinement. I was expecting a more opulent VCC, but the 2022 is surprisingly delicate and nuanced.
The blend is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that all the chateau's Cabernets were used in the Grand Vin.
This perhaps explains the wine's construction, favoring length, persistence and aromatics more than size. Notes of crème de cassis, lavender, spice and licorice linger on the super-expressive finish. There's really not much to say, except that 2022 is magic.
"The real heat started in June," explained Alexandre Thienpont. "We had 15 mm of rain for two days in mid-August, which really helped. Despite this, yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, below 2020. Berries weighed less than a gram and juice yields were low."
Antonio Galloni, May 2023
Data sheet
- Designation
- Pomerol
- Year
- 2022
- Color
- Red
- Delivery period
- Deliverable First semester 2025
- Acceptance
- 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Alcohol level
- 14°4
- Apogee
- 2032 - 2062
Peter Moser / Falstaff.com - Noté 100/100 (april 2023)
Matthew Jukes / Matthewjukes.com - Noté 99/100 (may 2023)
Neal Martin / Vinous - Noté 97-99/100 (may 2023)
Antonio Galloni / Vinous - Noté 98-100/100 (may 2023)
Jeb Dunnuck / Jeb Dunnuck.com - Noté 98-100/100 (may 2023)
Jeff Leve / The Wine Cellar Insider - Noté 97-99/100 (april 2023)
William Kelly / Wine Advocate - Noté 97-99/100 (may 2023)
Lisa Perotti-Brown / The Wine Independent - Noté 98-100/100 (may 2023)
