Vieux Chateau Certan 2008

JAMES SUCKLING: "Vibrant, earthy clay minerality with eucalyptus notes, as well as pot-pourri, dried flowers and bright dark fruit that’s soaked with spice. The tannins here are condensed and loaded with lifted acidity. Full body and abundant tension. Classy wine with plenty of elegance and length. Very classic. Drinkable now, but best from 2028."

DECANTER: "A cool and uneven summer led to a slow growing season, and those who picked too soon had angular tannins. This Pomerol property didn't begin harvesting until the end of September, so no such problems here, where the wine is a triumph. The nose is exquisite, with ripe, elegant cherry and blackcurrant aromas that are lifted and pure. Although very concentrated, the palate is medium-bodied and graceful, with a fresh and taut structure. Fine acidity gives the wine nuance and exceptional length."

WEINWISSER: "70 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Franc, 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon. 34 hl/ha Ertrag. Tiefes Granat mit lila Reflexen. Aromatisches, wunderschön tiefes Bouquet, viel schwarze Pflaumen, Heidelbeeren, Nelkenwürze und ein Hauch Trüffel. Im Gaumen so saftig und elegant, dass man statt eines Schlucks lieber gleich die ganze Flasche nähme, im Finale lang und fein, ein eher femininer Vieux Château Certan, der schon früh, aber auch lange Freude bereiten wird."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep crimson. Maturing rim. Nicely married nose with slight inkiness. Really chunky texture. Tannins are quite notable, and slightly furry somehow, but there is good ripe, well-integrated fruit, tannin and acidity on the way to maturity. A sturdy VCC, very much of the vintage. A wine for traditionalists."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "In this dense wine, dusty tannins ride over spice and black currant fruits, giving weight and concentration while retaining the natural stylish character of the château."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "This is a beautiful wine, much more developed and evolved than the 2010, as one might expect, with perfumed notes of camphor, cedar, charcoal, herbs, and black and red fruits. A blend of 70% of Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has very complex aromatics, medium to full body, outstanding ripeness, a spicy, perfumed character, and light to moderate tannin. It can benefit from 2-4 years of cellaring and should keep for two decades."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Leicht offene Nase, wirkt etwas weitmaschig, die Tannine reiben sich ein wenig. Zarte Dörrzwetschkennote, irgendwie opulent, aber auch nicht konzentriert genug, vielleicht eine nicht ganz perfekte Flasche oder der Wein ist in einer schwierigen Entwicklungsphase."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Classic in style, the wine is more interesting on the nose with its mix of tobacco leaf, flowers, truffle, wet earth, cocoa and red fruits. Elegant, refined, fresh and pure, this is quite nice now, and promises to be even better with more cellaring. The wine was made from blending 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is classy, with a lush cashmere feel to the crushed plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit, all finely beaded with maduro tobacco, smoked apple wood and violet notes. The long finish shows even darker hints, with very suave length."