96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 1995

Every time I have this wine in tastings outside my cellar, I have guessed it to be Petrus and I have rated it as one of the greatest 1982s. My scores have ranged from 96-100. From my cellar, the wine has always tasted super-concentrated, impressive, and frightfully backward, and not nearly as flattering and open. This tasting note is based on a wine from my cellar - a cold, damp storage facility. The wine reveals no signs of age in its color, which remains an opaque, thick- looking ruby/purple. The nose offers up reticent aromas of super-ripe black fruits (jammy cherries), combined with earthy, truffle, cedar, and chocolate notes. Full-bodied and super-concentrated, with high levels of extract, glycerin, and tannin, this remains an outrageously rich and compelling Pomerol that I find needs another 5 years until it begins to enter its plateau of maturity. It will easily last through the first three decades of the next century . It is a majestic Certan de May, as well as the finest young vintage of this wine I have tasted, but it is evolving at a glacial pace. Tasted 16 times since bottling, in 375 ml, 750 ml, and magnum formats with consistently brilliant notes.

98 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 1994

Tasted 9 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes

98 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, June 2000

The Philadelphia tasting was the finest showing yet for this wine, which has been forbiddingly tannic, backward, and broodingly difficult to assess for much of its life. In the blind tasting, I thought it was Lafleur, and came close to giving it a perfect rating. Although still youthful, it has turned the corner and is emerging from its closed state.

98 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 1993

Consistently one of the most remarkable wines of this great vintage, the 1982 Certan de May has tightened up. It gets my nod as the most backward wine among the 1982 Pomerols, as it is even more tannic than Petrus. The impressive saturated dark purple/garnet color suggests super flavor extraction. The nose offers scents of Asian spices, cedar, black fruits, truffles, and new oak. It is full-bodied and massive, with exceptional concentration to accompany the boatload of tannins. The wine's thick viscosity and huge, unctuous texture are mouthfilling. It remains broodingly backward and little evolved since its early days in the barrel. Even half-bottles are youthful.

92 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, August 2002

Full, deep red. Exotic aromas of roasted red berries, cherry, roast coffee and menthol. Ripe, dense and sweet, with inviting earth, truffle and chocolate flavors lifted by a whiff of tobacco leaf from the cabernet franc component. Impressively full in the mouth, but with the faint leafy edge contributing to the impression of firm structure. Drink now through 2020. An impressive bottle.

93 points,

Wine Spectator, November 1998

Rather closed. Very dark ruby color, with a slight amber edge. Intense blackberry, earth and chocolate aromas. Full-bodied and chewy, with lots of berry and dark chocolate flavors. Full and velvety yet slightly hard, astringent tannins. Still needs time.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2000. –JS

About Winery

Chateau Certan de May is a first class Pomerol estate that takes its name from a Scottish family who established themselves in Pomerol in the 17th century. It is now owned by Odette Barreau-Badar and is located in the east of the appellation, on the Pomerol plateau between Vieux-Chateaux Certan and P�trus, and directly opposite Le Pin. Certan de May's vines (Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%) have an average age of 45 years and lie on sandy-gravel topsoils, underpinned by a hard-pan clay subsoil. Fermentation lasts 4-6 weeks in stainless steel, followed by up to a month's maceration before 16 months' oak ageing, 40% new.

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