Vieux Chateau Certan 2010

Pomerol

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Tasting Notes
The 2010 Vieux Château Certan has a more modern bouquet compared to its peers. There is plenty of high quality new oak that slightly masks the fruit, although it does not overwhelm and should be completely subsumed with bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. This is very well balanced, though I would have liked a little more substance and grip on the finish. Very fine and classy, but maybe it could have been better? Score: 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2060 01 April 2020
A blend of 86% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped between 27th September and 5th October, the Vieux Chateau Certan delivers 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. It is presently being raised in 75% new oak. The nose is very refined with touches of blackberry, raspberry, black truffle and dark cherries with wonderful delineation considering the alcohol level. The palate is very well balanced with beautiful poise, perhaps more focused than the 2009 at this stage. Wonderful mineralité, there is superb precision and energy is this nascent VCC. Just superb. Tasted April 2011. Score: 96 - 98 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 29 April 2011
The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed. Score: 100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2060 05 March 2020
A perfect wine with perfect purity of fruit. It shows gorgeous aromas of blackberries, currants and cedar with hints of chocolate. Full body, with a lovely sweetness of fruit and ripe tannins. It goes to chocolate, hazelnut and spices. Nutmeg too. Sexy and incredible. It has so much depth of fruit and density. Better in 2020. Score: 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2020+ 04 February 2013
Lower volume than 2011 - 30 hl/ha, about 30,000 bottles. Harvest 24 September to 8 October. One of longest harvests at Petrus. They had to eliminate more fruit than last year. First vintage in the new cellar, allowing them to work with more and smaller parcels - they now have 12 (unlined) concrete vats instead of the previous eight. From 2013, global distribution will be handled exclusively by Jean-François Moueix (under the name of a new company called Petrus Something) - up to now has handled distribution only in France. Inky core. Highly aromatic and beautifully spiced fruit. Both pure and complex on the nose. Aromatic on the palate with fine-grained but deep, welcoming tannins. Hint of smokiness, just so perfumed already. Lovely cassis, velvety and open but with the structure and harmony to age gracefully. Finishes dry and velvety too. Lacks the edge of youth. Almost too gentle at this stage in its life. Score: 99 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023-2063 01 February 2013
2010: Alexandre Thienpont thinks 2010 is even more powerful and tannic than 2009. This is certainly a big wine, dominated by its Merlot component (86%, with the rest mostly Cabernet Franc). The natural alcohol level is 14.5%, slightly above 2009, but the pH is a healthy 3.7, and the wine, like so many 2010s, is a paradox. The alcohols are often the highest ever yet the acidities are fresh and lively, and the wine crisp and refined. This is a deep purple-colored wine, with loads of opulence and fat, a voluptuous texture and tremendous purity. The style is a modern-day version of what they probably achieved in 1947, 1949 and 1950. Thienpont attributes the wine’s freshness to the lack of any real heat wave, the drought, and the very cool nights in September. This wine should drink well for 20-40 years. Score: 96 - 98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 04 May 2011
86%M, 8%CF, 5%CS. A Merlot year here - the same blend as 2009 though only one parcel of Cabernet Franc was used this year which was absolutely exceptional - much better than 2009, from tiny berries. The yield is 35hl/ha whereas 2009 was 42hl/ha so there will be less wine to go around! Full, rich ripe, black cherry with graphite with Victoria plums. Plenty of glycerol, milk chocolate and a gorgeous finish. Sublime. Similar in style to the 1998 where the blend was the same, but much more intense. Score: 96 - 99 Albany Vintners, - 28 April 2011
Very small crop - 35 hl/ha (compared to 42 hl/ha in 2009). A Merlot vintage; only 8% Cabernet Franc. Average IPT is 90, with lots of acid. Very dark crimson. Pretty floral and scented and pretty. Very concentrated and intense. Lots of minerals on the finish. Lovely rich satisfying undertow. Hint of ripe pears oddly enough. Lovely completeness. Great balance and build. Very, very long. The strongest right-bank wine so far. Excellent layers. Very serious - a marvellously intellectual Merlot! Score: 18 - 19 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2022-2038 15 April 2011
More or less the same parcels and blend as '09 (86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet) but a different style. Less opulent and more classically defined. Lovely 'natural' fruit, huge concentration, more alcohol (14.5%), long, powerful tannins and the freshness that marks the vintage. A harmonious whole. Huge potential. Score: 19 Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2020-2060 01 April 2011
Super broad and muscular, with lots of dark fig, currant and chocolate notes. A smoky tobacco edge on the back end is starting to emerge, and this begins to gush linzer torte and cassis with air. A very big wine. One of the stars of the appellation in 2010. 86 percent Merlot, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 6 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, almost the same as 2009. Tasted non-blind. Score: 96 - 99 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 31 March 2011

Tasting Notes

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan has a more modern bouquet compared to its peers. There is plenty of high quality new oak that slightly masks the fruit, although it does not overwhelm and should be completely subsumed with bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. This is very well balanced, though I would have liked a little more substance and grip on the finish. Very fine and classy, but maybe it could have been better?

Score: 97

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024-2060 01 April 2020

A blend of 86% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped between 27th September and 5th October, the Vieux Chateau Certan delivers 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. It is presently being raised in 75% new oak. The nose is very refined with touches of blackberry, raspberry, black truffle and dark cherries with wonderful delineation considering the alcohol level. The palate is very well balanced with beautiful poise, perhaps more focused than the 2009 at this stage. Wonderful mineralité, there is superb precision and energy is this nascent VCC. Just superb. Tasted April 2011.

Score: 96 - 98

Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 29 April 2011

The 2010 Vieux Château Certan is deep garnet in color, and—POW—the nose opens as a complete spice-bomb, featuring notes of fenugreek, cumin seed and cinnamon stick over a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves and blueberry pie with hints of fragrant earth and crushed stones. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it is laden with layers of black and blue fruit preserves, framed by super plush tannins, finishing epically long and perfumed.

Score: 100

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2060 05 March 2020

A perfect wine with perfect purity of fruit. It shows gorgeous aromas of blackberries, currants and cedar with hints of chocolate. Full body, with a lovely sweetness of fruit and ripe tannins. It goes to chocolate, hazelnut and spices. Nutmeg too. Sexy and incredible. It has so much depth of fruit and density. Better in 2020.

Score: 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2020+ 04 February 2013

Lower volume than 2011 - 30 hl/ha, about 30,000 bottles. Harvest 24 September to 8 October. One of longest harvests at Petrus. They had to eliminate more fruit than last year. First vintage in the new cellar, allowing them to work with more and smaller parcels - they now have 12 (unlined) concrete vats instead of the previous eight. From 2013, global distribution will be handled exclusively by Jean-François Moueix (under the name of a new company called Petrus Something) - up to now has handled distribution only in France. Inky core. Highly aromatic and beautifully spiced fruit. Both pure and complex on the nose. Aromatic on the palate with fine-grained but deep, welcoming tannins. Hint of smokiness, just so perfumed already. Lovely cassis, velvety and open but with the structure and harmony to age gracefully. Finishes dry and velvety too. Lacks the edge of youth. Almost too gentle at this stage in its life.

Score: 99

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2023-2063 01 February 2013

2010: Alexandre Thienpont thinks 2010 is even more powerful and tannic than 2009. This is certainly a big wine, dominated by its Merlot component (86%, with the rest mostly Cabernet Franc). The natural alcohol level is 14.5%, slightly above 2009, but the pH is a healthy 3.7, and the wine, like so many 2010s, is a paradox. The alcohols are often the highest ever yet the acidities are fresh and lively, and the wine crisp and refined. This is a deep purple-colored wine, with loads of opulence and fat, a voluptuous texture and tremendous purity. The style is a modern-day version of what they probably achieved in 1947, 1949 and 1950. Thienpont attributes the wine’s freshness to the lack of any real heat wave, the drought, and the very cool nights in September. This wine should drink well for 20-40 years.

Score: 96 - 98

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 04 May 2011

86%M, 8%CF, 5%CS. A Merlot year here - the same blend as 2009 though only one parcel of Cabernet Franc was used this year which was absolutely exceptional - much better than 2009, from tiny berries. The yield is 35hl/ha whereas 2009 was 42hl/ha so there will be less wine to go around! Full, rich ripe, black cherry with graphite with Victoria plums. Plenty of glycerol, milk chocolate and a gorgeous finish. Sublime. Similar in style to the 1998 where the blend was the same, but much more intense.

Score: 96 - 99

Albany Vintners, - 28 April 2011

Very small crop - 35 hl/ha (compared to 42 hl/ha in 2009). A Merlot vintage; only 8% Cabernet Franc. Average IPT is 90, with lots of acid. Very dark crimson. Pretty floral and scented and pretty. Very concentrated and intense. Lots of minerals on the finish. Lovely rich satisfying undertow. Hint of ripe pears oddly enough. Lovely completeness. Great balance and build. Very, very long. The strongest right-bank wine so far. Excellent layers. Very serious - a marvellously intellectual Merlot!

Score: 18 - 19

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2022-2038 15 April 2011

More or less the same parcels and blend as '09 (86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet) but a different style. Less opulent and more classically defined. Lovely 'natural' fruit, huge concentration, more alcohol (14.5%), long, powerful tannins and the freshness that marks the vintage. A harmonious whole. Huge potential.

Score: 19

Decanter, Decanter.com Maturity: 2020-2060 01 April 2011

Super broad and muscular, with lots of dark fig, currant and chocolate notes. A smoky tobacco edge on the back end is starting to emerge, and this begins to gush linzer torte and cassis with air. A very big wine. One of the stars of the appellation in 2010. 86 percent Merlot, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 6 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, almost the same as 2009. Tasted non-blind.

Score: 96 - 99

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 31 March 2011

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