Product information

Château Vieux-Château-Certan 2015

Bordeaux Blend from Pomerol, Right Bank, Bordeaux, France

$588

Closure: Cork
100 Points from Galloni & Suckling - #11 of his Top 100 for 2018

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Check out all of the wines by Château Vieux-Château-Certan

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2015 Vintage

2015 goes toe to toe with 2010 and 2009.

Two thousand fifteen has turned out to be a fabulous vintage for Bordeaux. A dry, hot summer followed by late-season rains introduced a degree of variability in some of Bordeaux’s main appellations, but where sites were well positioned to cope with those challenges, the wines are absolutely thrilling… The finest 2015s are wonderfully sensual, exotic wines that should drink well relatively early and also reward aging. Antonio Galloni

We could go through each appellation one by one, but, frankly, I prefer to play the wine rather than the generalisation because Vintage Charts suck & there are better ways!

The Varieties of Red Bordeaux

There are 5 permissible varieties in Red Bordeaux, making what is called the Bordeaux blend. They vary considerably in their flavours, tannin profiles, and, most significantly the order in which they ripen. As a generalisation, the Left Bank, including the Medoc and Pessac-Léognan / Graves tend to use Cabernet as their backbone. The right bank, including, Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, Merlot as there backbone.

The below commentary on the varieties is a generalisation. Each of the varieties will express a little differently in each appellation, and, individual vineyards in the hands of mother nature, and, the vignerons and winemakers of the Château.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The backbone of the warmer left bank, the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon has long linear tannins that run the length of your palate. It is responsible for those blackcurrant / cassis fruits, and, is the only variety that produces methoxypyrazines responsible for the herbaceous, vegetal, grassy, capsicum aroma. Sauvignon Blanc is the other notable variety to produce methoxypyrazines. These flavours and aromas decrease through the exposure of the fruit to heat and sun.

Extended post-fermentation maceration is near universal for the variety in Bordeaux. The process where the wine is left in contact with the skins following the completion of the alcoholic fermentation. This allows the slow introduction of oxygen and it’s interaction with the soup of tannins in the wine. It softens and lengthens tannins, develops the fruit characteristics, and, introduces a second layer of aromas and flavours, flowers, violets, earthiness and beyond.

At Yarra Yering we’d look for flowers, and, a pencil shaving character to indicate the best time to press the wine. The pencil shaving character was short-lived, a sign of early oxidation and the wine would immediately freshen on pressing. The feel of the cap of skins would also be a helpful indicator that the post-fermentation maceration was almost at its end. Texture being the obvious final factor.

Merlot

The backbone of the cooler right bank wine, the earlier ripening Merlot, has softer, more supple tannins, less overt fruit characters than Cabernet Sauvignon, showing more restraint. Again, it benefits from extended post-fermentation maceration.

In Australia, large plantings of Merlot were actually incorrectly identified Cabernet Franc!

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc in Australia is often referred to as a weed! It tends to make insipid wines lacking depth and importance. In Bordeaux it can be something special, anyone who’s had a good bottle of Cheval Blanc will know what I’m talking about. Earlier ripening, it tends to have softer suppler tannins like Merlot, and, be framed with slightly rawer tannins.

Malbec

Malbec is perhaps the broadest in fruit characters, richness, and, generosity, adding, a lovely spice to the wines.

Petit Verdot

The little green one is the last to ripen and is typically a very small component in any Bordeaux blend. As the name suggests it is known for its acidity. Again extended post-fermentation maceration is key to releasing a lovely perfume and softening the tannins.

Where in the World Are They?

Play around with this interactive map of Bordeaux.

Right Bank

Pomerol

Pomerol on the right bank is considerably smaller than Saint-Émillion. The fly-over below covers the major geological sub-regions of Pomerol and shows where each of the important Châteaus is located

100 Points

The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is pure class. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this sumptuous, spectacularly ripe Pomerol. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's textural richness and intensity that stand out most. As good as the 2015 is today, it is going to need at least 15-20 years to be at its very best. Is there anything more I can ask of the 2015? No, there is not. This is a tremendous showing.

Antonio Galloni

100 Points

The blackberries, blueberries, oyster shell and violets are so mesmerizing. Full-bodied, focused and deep. It takes you to another space and plane. Dried flowers and dark fruit. The tannins are perfectly crafted. Keeps going as you taste it. Drink in 2023 but why wait? 11 in his Top 100 for 2018.

James Suckling

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Vieux Château Certan, Route de Lussac, Pomerol, France

Pomerol
Right Bank
Bordeaux
France