Offering sweet violets, cassis and dried eucalyptus leaves, this nose is impressively charming for a 1966. On the palate it's full of energy, with medium body (especially compared to the 1964), silky tannins and good acidity. A leafy and bell-pepper note emerges in the finish. A lot of cab here for VCC — the blend is 50% merlot, 25% cabernet franc, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 5% malbec. Drink now.

Rich, smoky, soft brambled fruits, grilled cedar and white truffles. A very pretty wine, slippery-smooth tannins, easy to love. Fully in its tertiary window, but with charm and lift. Léon Thienpont - father of current owner Alexandre and son of original purchaser Georges Thienpont - was completing his first vintage in 1966. Notable for including Malbec, which was more typical in the vines of Pomerol at the time.

The 1966 Vieux Château Certan was picked from early October after a Second Summer in September. This is a paradigm of the 1966 vintage with a Cabernet-driven bouquet, cedar and tobacco, black rather than red fruit, linear and correct. There's just a hint of chimney soot. The palate has a citrus-fresh entry, almost Pauillac-like thanks to the Cabernet components, bright and slightly edgy, yet it is unapologetically conservative. If you want an example of a mature classic Pomerol, then look no further. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove. -- Neal Martin