Vieux Château Certan 2023 (Magnum)

Wineadvocate

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (very similar to the 2019), the 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a magical wine of exemplary harmony and balance. Offering up complex aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of exotic spices, licorice, iris, violets and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, supple and seamless, its sweet structuring tannins entirely concealed by a multidimensional core of pure, vibrant fruit. This sensual, perfumed Pomerol is likely to rank alongside the 2019 and 2016 in the pantheon of recent Vieux Château Certan vintages. - WK 04/2023

Vinous

The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of tremendous sophistication and polish. I expected to see 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 all the Cabernets at the château were used in Grand Vin. Perhaps that explains the wine’s construction, favoring length, persistence and aromatics more than size. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice and licorice hints linger on the super-expressive finish. There’s really not much more to say except that the 2022 is magical. “Real heat started in June," explained Alexandre Thienpont. “We had 15mm of rain over two days in mid-August that really helped. Even so, yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, so lower than 2020. Berries weighed less athan a gram and juice yields were low.” - AG 04/2023

Beck

Très belle expression olfactive dans Vieux Château Certan avec de la fraîcheur qui se manifeste au travers de menthe et de framboises suivies de nuances florales avec de la camomille et de la glycine. En attaque le vin se positionne avec douceur. Il est crémeux, friand et doté de tannins suaves et puissasnts. Dotés d'un grain fin, les tannins soutiennent idéalement l'expression aromatique du milieu et de la fin de bouche. Ils confèrent également une fine amertume à la finale qui s'en retrouve non seulement amplifiée mais étirée. Elle révèle des nuances de réglisse et une touche florale. La boucle est bouclée et ce VCC est très complet, digeste, gourmand et puissant ! - 04/2023

Suckling

The freshness and dynamic sense to the wine is so surprising. Minerally and salty. It's full yet racy. Black ink and oyster shell. Excellent length. 25% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon and the rest, merlot. - 04/2023

Dunnuck

Based on 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 66% new French oak, the 2023 Vieux Château Certan sports brilliant red, blue, and black fruits as well as smoky tobacco, liquid violets, graphite, and hints of chocolate. Including no Cabernet Sauvignon due to the heatwave, this plump, full-bodied, ripe, sexy Vieux Château Certan is already impossible to resist yet is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly for three decades. There are roughly 3,333 cases produced. Drink 2029-2059.