Vieux Chateau Certan 2016

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Vieux Château Certan is blended of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with pristine, vivid notions of candied violets, chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry compote and mulberries with fragrant touches of raspberry leaves, crushed rocks, licorice, cumin seed and yeast extract plus a waft of red roses. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully elegant, the palate builds from a quiet intensity to an incredibly well-sustained aria of crunchy red and black cherries notes plus tons of floral undertones, framed by exquisitely soft yet firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with lingering mineral and floral sparks. How does this 2016 compare to the also amazing 2015 vintage? Stylistically they are very different, as my notes on each should convey, but beyond this I am struck by the incredible harmony and seamlessness of the 2016 along with its amazing depth and energy this year. Bravo!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "Just as good, yet in a different style, the 2016 Vieux Château Certan shows cooler notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, underbrush, graphite, violets, and crushed rocks. Deep, incredibly full-bodied and powerful, yet like the 2015, weightless and sensationally textured, it glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. Expansive, deep, beautifully concentrated, and flawlessly constructed, it builds incrementally on the palate and has a finish that lasts for over a minute. It’s another legendary wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 30-40 years."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, feine Edelholzwürze, reife Herzkirschen, Brombeergelée, zarte Nuancen von Gewürze. Kraftvoll, komplex, intensive Frucht, gute Frische, extraktsüß aber keine Spur von Überreife, perfekte Tannine, feiner Nougatabgang, bleibt minutenlang haften, tolles Zukunftspotenzial, Vin de Garde."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "In 2016 it was extremely dry at Vieux Chateau Certan so they had to delay the harvest. They marked the vines on which the berries had dried and didn't harvest them. The blend in 2016 was 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a deep garnet-purple color. It pops with scents of vibrant black plums, juicy blackberries and redcurrant jelly, leading to hints of licorice, wood smoke, crushed rocks, and violets, plus a hint of cumin seed. Full-bodied, rich and seductive, the palate has a firm frame of ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness supporting the dense, muscular fruit, finishing long. The fruit is so primary - it's in a time capsule. This was the first vintage bottled using their own bottling line."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Like walking into a plum orchard where you also find espresso, almonds, fresh flowers, red and black plums and dark cocoa. The fragrance starts the show, but it is on the palate, with all its sexy, silky, sensuous, velvety textures, this is hedonism at its best. The voluptuous palate presence and the purity of the fruits in the finish is heart-stopping! The wine is a blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon."

JAMES SUCKLING: "The ripeness in this wine is incredibly balanced and perfect with plum and orange-peel character, buttressed by the ripe seeds of the grapes that give a hazelnut and coffee undertone. Turns to violets. Full body with firm and very sexy tannins that are perfectly balanced and polished. Some chocolate and dried black tea-leaf character in the aftertaste. Wonderful finish. Needs five to six years to soften, but already a joy to experience. Try after 2025."

DECANTER: "Poised between velvet tannins, supple juice and powerfully concentrated fruits; a punch of liquorice and chocolate and damson. Clear evidence of ageing ability, and a slow stretch out of flavours and aromatics in the glass, with just the slightest trace of hot spice on the finish. It's official, 2016 is a powerhouse. 70% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 - 2045"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This big, rich wine has perfumed Cabernet Franc flavors to give shape to the dominant Merlot. It is a well-structured wine, elegant and with juicy acidity. It displays power and concentration along with restraint and style. Drink this wine from 2024."

WEINWISSER: "85 % Merlot, 14 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 14,5 vol %, 40,5 hl/ha. Sattes Purpur mit Granatschimmer am Rand. Duftiges Heidelbeerbouquet mit Cassis und Veilchen, so sanft und filigran, dahinter Kokos und Schattenmorellen. Am fülligen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur und anschmiegsamen Tanninen, sehr kraftvoll. Dazu Blaubeeren und parfümierter Pfeifentabak, sehr elegant und langanhaltendend im finessenreichen Finale. Auf die Frage zum Jahresvergleich 2015 und 2016 antwortet Alexandre: «Der 2015er ist fürs Barbecue, der 2016er - dabei hebt er den Zeigefinger - für die Haute Cuisine!»

WINE SPECTATOR: "A horse of a different color among its peers in this vintage, featuring an extremely vivid core of pastis-soaked plum, cassis and blackberry fruit streaming forth. Muscular yet imbued with racy cut, the finish ripples along the edges, with sweet tobacco, warm gravel and ganache notes. A violet hint glistens here and there for added effect. Power and vivacity make a thrilling combo. Best from 2023 through 2040."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Concentrated cassis plus sweetness. Luscious with a hint of graphite (Cabernet Franc?). Long and rich with leathery hints. But it’s pretty drying on the end for now."