Vieux Château Certan
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
Ripe and forward. Aging well...lots of vibrant fruit still present.
Ripe and forward. Aging well...lots of vibrant fruit still present.
Aug 27th, 2017
Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?
From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.
Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.
After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.
After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.
The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured.
Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?
From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.
Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.
After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.
After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.
The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured.
The 2009 Vieux Château Certan is magnificent, bursting from the glass with incense, Asian spices, ripe red and black plum, dried figs and raspberry jam. The warm, sunny vintage shines through in the fruit ripeness and noticeable alcohol, but the fresh acidity holds everything in perfect balance. Full-bodied with ripe and silky tannins, the finish is long and persistent. Drink now until 2040.
The 2009 Vieux Château Certan is magnificent, bursting from the glass with incense, Asian spices, ripe red and black plum, dried figs and raspberry jam. The warm, sunny vintage shines through in the fruit ripeness and noticeable alcohol, but the fresh acidity holds everything in perfect balance. Full-bodied with ripe and silky tannins, the finish is long and persistent. Drink now until 2040.
Dec 15th, 2022
Riesling & Pomerol Battle Night! Rock on!
Riesling & Pomerol Battle Night! Rock on!
May 19th, 2017
Amazing showing on such a young Bordeaux. Best experienced in a long time.
Amazing showing on such a young Bordeaux. Best experienced in a long time.
Mar 10th, 2016
Ahhh still one of my favorites. Took about 3-4hrs to open up and was singing. Great juice.
Ahhh still one of my favorites. Took about 3-4hrs to open up and was singing. Great juice.
Dec 26th, 2015
Incredible celebratory wine. Smooth, soft tannins. Chocolate, dark fruit, slightly smokey.
Incredible celebratory wine. Smooth, soft tannins. Chocolate, dark fruit, slightly smokey.
Jun 24th, 2015