The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is blended of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with pristine, vivid notions of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry compote and mulberries with fragrant touches of raspberry leaves, crushed rocks, licorice, cumin seed and yeast extract plus a waft of red roses. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully elegant, the palate builds from a quiet intensity to an incredibly well-sustained aria of crunchy red and black cherries notes plus tons of floral undertones, framed by exquisitely soft yet firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with lingering mineral and floral sparks. How does this 2016 compare to the also amazing 2015 vintage? Stylistically they are very different, as my notes on each should convey, but beyond this I am struck by the incredible harmony and seamlessness of the 2016 along with its amazing depth and energy this year. Bravo!
Smoke, tar, earth, fruit and tobacco aromas. The wine is youthful, medium- to full-bodied, with expansive, polished tannins, good concentration and a long, persistent finish. It shows power and restraint, with volume, delicacy and an inherent structure. While enjoyable, this is still youthful and will benefit from additional cellaring. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.
Just as good, yet in a different style, the 2016 Vieux Château Certan shows cooler notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, underbrush, graphite, violets, and crushed rocks. Deep, incredibly full-bodied and powerful, yet like the 2015, weightless and sensationally textured, it glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. Expansive, deep, beautifully concentrated, and flawlessly constructed, it builds incrementally on the palate and has a finish that lasts for over a minute. It’s another legendary wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 30-40 years.
The 2016 Vieux Château Certan was tasted on two occasions. Blind, there was just a patina of wood on the finish that made it difficult to read. The bottle at Bordeaux Index's tasting tallied with my previous encounter. A multi-faceted bouquet with pure black and blueberry fruit, crushed stone and light graphite scents from the Cabernet component. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, tensile and demonstrating incredible length on the finish. Profound. Tasted at Bordeaux Index's 10-Year-On tasting in London.
This big, rich wine has perfumed Cabernet Franc flavors to give shape to the dominant Merlot. It is a well-structured wine, elegant and with juicy acidity. It displays power and concentration along with restraint and style. Drink this wine from 2024. (Cellar Selection)
Poised between velvet tannins, supple juice and powerfully concentrated fruits; a punch of liquorice and chocolate and damson. Clear evidence of ageing ability, and a slow stretch out of flavours and aromatics in the glass, with just the slightest trace of hot spice on the finish. It's official, 2016 is a powerhouse. 70% new oak.
TWI
98pts
The Wine Independent
Vieux Château Certan is a finely structured, well composed wine, round and pleasing with a fine and elegant fruit structure and a fresh and subtle taste. This is always an elegant and aristocratic wine, and also in this vintage offering notes of mocha, marzipan and silky red berries. It has a fine and perfumed aftertaste and it is a wine that has the potential to go all the way when its carefully selected ingredients finally melts together. Save it for another 6-7 years and it should be even better.
A horse of a different color among its peers in this vintage, featuring an extremely vivid core of pastis-soaked plum, cassis and blackberry fruit streaming forth. Muscular yet imbued with racy cut, the finish ripples along the edges, with sweet tobacco, warm gravel and ganache notes. A violet hint glistens here and there for added effect. Power and vivacity make a thrilling combo. Best from 2023 through 2040. 3,750 cases made.