Devon Magee, JJ Buckley, April 2012

70% merlot, 29% cabernet franc, 1% cabernet sauvignon. A 14-hectare contiguous parcel on the sloping Pomerol plateau next to La Conseillante and L'Evangile. Soils are Pomerol's classic pebbles over clay and iron-rich subsoil. Alexandre Thienpont (from one of the most influential winemaking families on the Right Bank) is in charge. Gorgeous perfume of raspberry and flowers on the nose are mirrored on the palate. This is all about nuance and elegance, with a silky structure and light body that dances across the tongue. The multitude of layers is so compact and finely enmeshed as to be seamless. This has an underlying tautness that will unwind over the next 5-10 years. A wine that provokes contemplation. Enjoy 2020-2040.

95 -96 points,

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, April 2012

What a nose. Such beautiful aromas of Cabernet Franc here with licorice and tea and ark fruits. Wet earth too. Full body, with firm and racy tannins and a beautiful finish of chocolate and berries. Intense. Cashmere texture. 29% Cabernet Franc in this with the rest in Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Franc comes mostly from a parcel from planted in 1958.

96 -98 points,

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, April 2012

The Vieux Chateau Certan was cropped between 6th and 7th of September and from 14th until 20th September. That's what you'll read everywhere, although I was filming Alexandre when he was picking the final Cabernet around the 29th September! Cropped at 37hl/ha, it is a blend of 70% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and (yay!) 29% Cabernet Franc. It delivers 13.6 degrees alcohol with a total acidity of 3.5gms/L and an IPT of 83. After the Cabernet Francless 2009 and 2010, this is more what I consider to be a classic VCC nose and as Alexandre, unlike those previous vintages that gives you everything up front, this is far more intellectual and enigmatic with hints of mineral laden fruit, limestone and small dark cherries. It is beautifully defined yet distant. The palate is succinctly balanced with crisp acidity, exceptional balance and superb backbone. There is an undercurrent of masculinity, a saline tincture, crushed stone and a touch of dried herbs and yet these are just fleeting hints. It has enormous length and it is one of the very few that could be on the same ethereal plateau as the 2009 and 2010 and perhaps one day...even better. Tasted April 2012.

94 -96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, April 2012

Made in a big, bold style with 13.6% natural alcohol, it reveals a stunning perfume of graphite, mulberries, black currants, kirsch, licorice and forest floor. This full-bodied, dense Pomerol transcends the overall vintage character. Thienpont compared the style of the 2011 with their 2000, but with more density to its core because of the extremely low yields. Only 60% of the crop made it into this cuvee. It will need 5-8 years of cellaring, and should still be intact and drinking beautifully at age 30.

A candidate for the top wine of Pomerol, Alexandre Thienpont calls the 2011 a return to the more classic style of Vieux Chateau Certan after the exotic, over-the-top 2009 and 2010. A blend of 70% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc (the highest in a number of years) and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 was harvested between September 7-20.

92 -95 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, May 2012

Purple-ruby. Perfumed, cabernet franc-dominated aromas of strawberry, violet and bitter cocoa. Very refined on the palate, with vibrant acidity framing and lifting the very pure red fruit and mineral flavors. This beautiful Pomerol will develop slowly and gracefully. Alexandre Thienpont believes that the cabernet franc, which seemed to suffer from the heat of 200 and 2010, has given a cashmere feel to what he thinks is a classic wine that will age well. I couldn't agree more, as this is probably my wine of the vintage.

95 -97 points,

Wine Enthusiast, May 2012

A beautifully-perfumed wine with ripe, soft tannins and sweet fruit. It has density yet the tannins are so velvety and ripe.

93 -96 points,

Wine Spectator, April 2012

This has a dark ganache and loamy profile that belies the vintage's lighter, fresher profile, and the wine cuts a broad swath but stays well-defined, with dense tobacco and fig on the finish. An impressive effort and an early challenger for one of the wines of the vintage. Tasted non-blind.-J.M.

About Winery

This winery covers 35 acres in one block using careful analysis on all aspects to yield the best possible grapes in every vintage.  Today the estate's vineyard is comprised of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

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