Description

Neighbour to the all conquering Chateau Petrus and vying through their long histories for the title of best in Pomerol, Vieux Chateau Certan or VCC is often in contention for wine of the vintage in Bordeaux. The estate is 14 hectare split into 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is under the ownership of the Thienpont empire the wines they craft are often more structured then the typical Right Bank Bordeaux but still retaining the Merlot perfume and flesh that is the charm of appellation. Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol is a wine I buy every year.

Balsamic, spice, meaty, pure, black stone/mineral and smoke. The palate shows cherry, voluptuous purple fruits, floral notes, stones and more, It is clean, tight with firm fruit tannins. This vintage of VCC will live for a long, long time.

Pomerol 

Merlot dominates here ably supported by Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon a distant (and sometimes non-existant) third. There is only 800 hectare of vines and almost 150 producers and Pomerol is the only major appellation of Bordeaux to eschew a ranking system.  The quality at the top level are arguably better than any other Bordeaux but it can vary.

Merlot 

It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus they are almost not needed.

2010 

Largely over looked after the amazing 2009s. Is this better than 2000, 2005, 2009? Is it more like the famous vintages to follow up the greats such as 1996 and 2001? All I know is that after tasting the first shipment of 2010s my customers requested a second tasting and fast. See Decanters notes of the vintage here.