Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol 2011

The aromas of this are so gorgeous, with blackberries, black cherries and wet earth. Full body with super-fine tannins and bright acidity. A firm, tightly structured young red with orange peel and other citrus fruit. This is so focused and straight. Try in 2018.

One of the stars of the vintage, the 2011 Vieux Château Certan was brilliant from barrel (I vividly remember tasting it as a student), and it is beginning to show all of that potential in bottle. Wafting from the glass with inviting aromas of mulberries, cherries, vine smoke, bitter chocolate, violets and spices, framed by a deft application of classy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with terrific concentration, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. Even better, this terrific wine remains notably undervalued in the market today.

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.

The 2011 Vieux-Château-Certan comes across somewhat bretty on the nose, occluding the delineation and complexity (certainly apparent juxtaposed blind against its peers.) The palate is medium-bodied with supple but quite firm tannins that frame the concentrated red fruit laced with black pepper, clove and graphite. It fans out wonderfully on the finish with a long peppery aftertaste. Thankfully, returning after a few minutes, that brett seems to have ebbed away, hence my score. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.

(70% merlot, 29% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon, 3.6 pH, 3.5 g/l total acidity; 83 IPT; 37 h/h; 13.6% alcohol): 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.