Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

Vieux Chateau Certan

Tasting and Visit with Monsieur Alexandre Thienpont

June 2010

Vieux Chateau Certan (VCC)

 

The roof of VCC peaking through the trees from the road.

     Saving the best for last is something I do when it comes to many things, for better or worse that is what happens sometimes. My wife interestingly has the opposite philosophy and that has allowed me to see the other side of that mind set. Her vision has allowed me to see writing my blog differently which has made my writing more efficient, productive and hopefully overall more entertaining and useful to my readers. Though I still write longer blog postings and not as many as my peers in the wine blogosphere in a given year, I put as much of me into my writings as possible. I have fiddled around with video, but to me it's not a medium that captures the wine lover. I get bored of almost all wine related videos rather easily. Many seem scripted and the subject robotic from the get go. The video medium in wine review and blogging has a long way to go to be considered entertaining.

I have arrived in the homeland of Merlot.

     To my point about saving the best for last, the following tasting is the last in the series of Bordeaux Chateau visits I made three years ago back in 2010, but is fresh in my mind as if it happened 3 months ago. Fresh that is except for the tasting notes I took, so apologies for the lack of some specifics. Three years later and a new iPhone lost me all of my tasting notes saved to my Blackberry. Therefore much of this is coming from memory and the impressions made that day. So bear with me as I try to relay the magic, beauty and history that is Vieux Chateau Certan.

     Vieux in French roughly translates to "old", and after reading the VCC chapter in "Pomerol" written by the Wine Advocate critic Neal Martin I completely understand now the meaning of VCC when you add the modern spelling of the property Sertan (Certan) which included the VCC property as well as its neighbor Certan de May.

     Back in 2010 fresh on the heels of a massively successful 2009 en Primeur campaign, I was in Bordeaux tasting wines from many vintages, but most consistently barrel samples from 2009 (not counting the 2007 UGC tasting of that very average vintage). Of all of the barrel samples tasted, Vieux Chateau Certan was one of my favorite of the trip, and my favorite appointment and Chateau experience of the entire trip. 

     I rose early to begin the track south from the outskirts of the Cognac region since we were staying at Chateau Mirambeau. The sun was bright, the air was clean and crisp, and the sun was high in the air by the time I got to Libourne on the edge of Pomerol. I even stopped at the same McDonalds that Wine Advocate writer Neal Martin so often mentions in his writings, but it was closed. So much for breakfast till 10am! I continued on heading east to Pomerol as the car wound through a few roads, cutting through the eastern edges of Libourne until I popped out into the vineyards of Pomerol's western edge. In minutes I was at the intersection of Certan and Certan, the white ornate signs telling me that I had arrived at the old Certan property, many years ago divided into Certan de May and my destination Vieux Chateau Certan.

Almost there, VCC from the road

     Arriving a few minutes early I sat in the waiting area a little nervous. I was on my own and did not know what to expect. This was one of the top Chateau in all of Bordeaux, not just Pomerol. Moments later Alexandre Thienpont exited his office and greeted me warmly.  Quite a tall man, Alexandre immediately puts you at ease when he greets you as his calm demeanor easily puts you at ease.  

Vintages 1996 and 2004

Welcome to the vineyards of VCC

Merlot vine at VCC

       After some small talk, the first thing we did was head straight to the vineyard so Alexandre could show me around the different plots and vineyard borders. Merlot dominates the plantings with Cabernet France the next most planted and a small, but prevalent Cabernet Sauvignon planting on more gravelly soils than the Merlot which is mostly on a combination of clay and gravel. The older vines were from plots that survived a great frost in the 50's with the rest replanted right after the frost and others planted in more recent decades. You can see the tall steeple of the landmark church that constantly towers high in the landscape as it is the tallest structure in miles. In one direction is Chateau Petrus, to which it shares a large portion of a soil phenomenon know as the clay button that makes up the whole of the Petrus vineyard. In another direction a neighbor is La Conseillante, and across the road is Certan de May, which a century and a half ago was part of the original property called Sertan, which roughly translates to "like a desert" (thank you Neal Martin).

Wooden fermentation tanks

     We moved into the chai ( aka the winemaking facility) where I was surprised to find gorgeous, pristine wood fermentation tanks. Most Chateau use concrete or steel these days in Bordeaux for initial fermentation but not at VCC. We then moved to the first barrel room that housed the newest vintage in barrel. It was small, but of course it should be, this is Pomerol where the properties are tiny and production is a fraction of the giant left bank chateau I had visited earlier on this trip. In the second barrel room lay more barrels with the most recent vintage. A barrel stood upright in the middle of the room with a few open bottles of wine to sample. My anticipation was bubbling over at this point as we were on the cusp of trying some magnificent wine.  The last 30-40 minutes learning about VCC and its sacred vineyards only heightened my excitement.

A sight to behold, 2009, 1996 and 2004 to taste.

     Open before me and Alexandre were vintages 1996, 2004 and the 2009 barrel sample. We started with the 1996, then progressed to the young 2004 and then the embryonic 2009.

     The 1996 was outstanding, one of the best wines I tasted the entire trip. I immediately searched to buy this vintage back home but the choices were few and far between. The few bottles I found the retailer told me were from a so-so lot of wines bought off the gray market and many were not drinking well so I decided to pass on buying them. I am still to this day searching it out! The nose, palate and finish were showing a wine that was past its young stage and well into the middle age of its life. Showing obvious hints of maturity, the wine was in great shape showing expressive and haunting notes that pulled the nose closer to the wine. On the palate I recall the finish lasting for quite a while with a silky and velvety finish, a trademark of well made Pomerol.

The Pomerol church steeple, a common sight from a spot of Pomerol

     The 2004 was less impressive, as some of you may know this is not a favorite vintage of mine. The wines in general lack the evenness and depth I prefer, though the tannins and structure were a good medium to full body on this 2004, the fruit trailing into a more medium body, with decent length and plenty of acidity.

     The 2009 was unlike anything I have ever had. It was an utter wall of fruit, tannin and texture. Practically impervious, dark in color, though it was dim in the chai so color was not exactly something I was evaluating. The aromas were pure, complex, and tightly compact. A lot of coaxing and air, about 30 minutes, and the wine started to unfold. I would have loved to have tried it that night or the next day. The palate was full bodied; solid as a rock, the balance was impeccable but this was not going to give it up to me easily.  Spectacular, I can't wait to try this out of bottle some day. 

Beautiful wines, but I preferred the 1996

     We tasted these wines over the course of an hour. We talked through much of it while I also tried to take brief tasting notes on each wine. As I was getting acquainted with the wines I was also getting to know the man behind these wines. We talked about his visits to New York and other parts of the USA, as well as my minimal experience in France so far and the wonderful experiences and people we have encountered thus far on our tour through France. Alexandre is a gentle giant, that tends his vineyard with the care and love that a father has for his children. It shows in the wines and in the meticulous state of the vines that we walked through when we started our walk through the grounds. Since my visit I have purchased almost every vintage from 2008 and on and have my eyes set on a few older vintages when they become available in auctions.

Vieux Chateau Certan is a special wine, made from a special place, and made by a special man.

A biento! 

-Tom

Le Cercle Rive Droite 2012 NYC

Le Cercle Rive Droite

2012 Vintage Bordeaux Barrel Tasting

New York, NY

"From Barrel to Bottle"

     Tasting newly vinified wine from barrel as it is maturing is better understood when tasting multiple samples of similar cepage from the same vintage.  Experience however, is the most valuable asset to understanding a young barrel sample of wine.  I know this may sound obvious, but the second part, as well as good note taking and a good memory, are crucial to understanding how a young wine will be as it matures into wine in bottle.  Experience or not, if you have ever tasted wine from barrel, you may understand that for the majority of us it is a very difficult task to ascertain the quality of the wine at that point.  For a barrel sample if the wine is very fruity, easy to drink and overall evolved at 6-8 months it is easy to say you like it, but that is not necessarily a great sign for a young wine.  At the other spectrum, if a wine is too tannic, too tight, too acidic it is a lot harder to evaluate the other parts of the wine that hint at what greatness may lie ahead in that wines future. 

     Recently I was lucky enough to experience my second Bordeaux vintage from barrel recently at a tasting event in Manhattan hosted by Le Cercle Rive Droite.  Approximately 30 Chateau from the Right Bank of Bordeaux offered up the most recent vintage of their wines as well as their 2009 or 2010 vintage wines from bottle.  Not surprisingly the wines were great in most cases from the heralded 2009 and 2010 vintages, while the barrel samples varied in aromas, textures and flavors quite drastically.  From my novice standing, I sensed the barrel tastings were on point from what I had already read from the professionals that attended en Primeur in Bordeaux two weeks prior, quality is varied across the board.  Granted this tasting had no Medoc or Pessac-Leognan/Graves wines, these right bank wines seemed to fall in line with their typical hierarchy with noticeable variations in quality within each village/region.  Overall there were some standouts from all of the different regions: Fleur Cardinale from Saint-Emilion, Dalem and la Dauphine from Fronsac, Clocher and Vray Croix de Gay from Pomerol, Magrez Fombrauge, Fombrauge, and Le Prieure from Saint-Emilion, Siaurac from Lalande de Pomerol, and La Rose Perriere from Lussac Saint-Emilion.

     Red Bordeaux wine is almost always a blend of the allowed 6 red grapes, with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot being the anchor varietal of virtually all red wines made in Bordeaux.  In the end, the consensus is 2012 is an average vintage with a few above average villages where Merlot was the main component of the red wines.  The reason that Merlot was the most successful red grape varietal harvested is that Merlot ripens earlier that its cousin Cabernet Sauvignon.    This allowed Merlot to be picked at better ripeness before a very large tropical storm hit in early to mid October.   Many Cabernet Sauvignon were still on vine in the storm and thus had to stay on vine to dry out and finish ripening.  In many vineyards neither of those two things happened to the extent desired if at all.  It was harder to notice this about the Cabernet Sauvignon at this tasting as the Chateau that are members of Le Cercle Rive Droite are all from the right bank where Merlot is the dominant grape varietal and for the most part were picked before the storm.

Standout wines from 2012, 2009, and 2010:

Fleur Cardinale, Saint-Emilion

70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

2012: The nose is rather pure in that it is balanced with fruit, minerality and a touch of oak.  Ripe red fruits, but not over the top, pure medium to full body palate, with silky tannins, decent acids and a long fruit filled finish.  I would expect this to be very much on par with the last few vintages, if barely a step behind if this evolves as it should in bottle

2009:  Awesome, outstanding, balanced through and through.  The nose wafts cherry and currants with a touch of tar and flowers.  The attack starts with ripe black cherries, currants, and builds depth and complexity as it fans out over the palate into a long, silky finish.  Not nearly ready to go, but quite enjoyable now.

Dominique Decoster of Grand Cru Classe Chateau Fleur Cardinale 

Magrez Fombrauge,  Saint-Emilion

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

Magrez Fombrauge is made exclusively from an old parcel of vines at Chateau Fombrauge that average 70 years old and is only 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres).  Alix Combes, the Vineyard Manager at Chateau Fombrauge and I spoke a lot and we talked about the vineyards terroir and how this little patch of vines has the right combination of soil and age to produce a special and limited bottling.  The character was similar in the regular Fombrauge bottling but it lacked the same intensity, nerve and complexity of the Magrez bottling.  I learned a lot about this vineyard and of the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 vintages from Alix.  Beyond the obvious with those vintages, 2011 is being compared to 2012 a lot and is too much of a generalization.   In 2011 Alix think the wines are more like 2004 2012 is more like 2006, which to me puts 2012 in front of 2011 for this property..

2012:  I liked this one, it was easy to taste as it was quite an evolved barrel sample, which is very much different than 2010 from talking to Alix.  Is that a good thing, I am not sure (see above in paragraph 1 about experience).  The palate is full bodied, ripe, with black cherry, creme d'cassis, licorice and well integrated oak.

2010: The limestone terroir really comes through in this wine as the structure really shows in this wine as it is very muscular in ripe tannins and full bodied in texture.  This is a nicely balanced wine, big, but fresh with black cherry and licorice abound.  A long, structured finish closes things out.

Alix Combes, vineyard manager at Fombrauge

The deliciously and structured 2010 Magrez Fombrauge 

Dalem, Fronsac
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Owner and winemaker Bigitte Rullier poured the wines herself at this event and it was a pleasure to speak with her about these wines and the terroir they come from.  The vines average 45 years of age and lie in a soil mix of limestone and clay, with a larger more prominent limestone plateau beneath this mixture.  The wines are initially vinified in cement tank for 3-4 weeks to allow good extraction of tannins and color.  Then the wine is aged 18 months in 40% new oak where malolactic fermentation takes place right after it is moved to barrel.  An autonomous water treatment plant was installed on site recently to help reduce waste and recycle water used on the property.

2012:  Wonderful nose compared to other samples, clean and pure, balance, I'd even say developed for the age as it was one of the earlier samples of the evening that I was able to draw distinct flavors from: cherry, sweet tobacco, currants,  14% abv.

2010: Elegant but deep, good grip and texture as the tannins are medium to full, but ripe.  In what seems a coiled personality of ripe and sappy red fruits, the tight but supple tannins frame an elegant but persistent finish.

Chateau Dalem proprietor Bigitte Rullier

The 2010 Chateau Dalem is a great value wine  rare these days from Bordeaux

Fombrauge,  Saint-Emilion

90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon

2012:  Also felt well developed like its sibling the Magrez Fombrauge.  Purple and black fruits; fine and silky tannins, limestone and clay sub soils combine as the makeup of one of the largest vineyards in all of Saint-Emilion at 60 hectares or 148 acres!

Le Prieure,  Saint-Emilion

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

2012: A nicely balanced 2012 that seemed slightly advanced as the sample was showing classic aroma and flavor notes with good  complexity and structure.  Mineral, plum, and kirsch mix with good spice and fresh tannins.

2010: A solid 2010 with excellent terroir showcasing minerality and classic structure.  Cassis, plum, mocha, and licorice.  Good tannic cut and excellent length in the finish.

Rol Valentin, Saint-Emilion

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

2012: Bright red fruits, coffee bean notes, and sweet oak, medium finish.  This one seemed a little less generous, but showed fruit and tannin in ample amounts.

2009: Huge presence, licorice, blackberry, tar, and leather are tightly wound .  A long and persistent finish, classic as it has elegance with balanced and purity.

du Pressac, Saint-Emilion

72% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest 1% Malbec and 2% Carmenere

A new wine for me as I have never tasted this Chateau.  A very distinct style not like many of the other wines tasted this evening.  I was curious what that was and then looked at the grapes used in the tasting guide and knew right away then it was the Malbec and the Carmenere adding lift and floral notes.

2012: Violets, herbs, pepper, black and blueberries with a medium finish and good structure that finishes with medium grain tannins.

2010: More classic in style with a medium body, great acidity, earth and minerality that combine with brighter red fruits in a nice, clean finish. 

Clocher, Pomerol

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc

2012: The best Pomerol sample from 2012 at this event.  The ripest, most evident of tannins yet still silky and a touch elegant because of the pure and bright red fruits. 

2010: Lovely, elegant, sensual, round and well made.  The Cabernet Franc really shows in this vintage as it obviously stands out from the Merlot adding extra structure and complexity down to the core of this wine.

Solid Pomerol - the classic 2010 Clos du Clocher from Pomerol

Montviel, Pomerol
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

Another favorite of the night for me, the 2009 Montviel was poured by the charming Emilie Dombey.  A great representative of a strong and successful Pomerol based wine company.  Headed by the venerable Catherine Pere-Verge who recently passed away, the estates holdings including Montviel, Le Gay and La Violette are still in family hands to continue her legendary legacy.  The Pere-Verge family also has a successful line of wines from Argentina under the Monteviejo label.

2009:  Sensual red raspberry, cherry, tobacco leaf, spice and cedar with wonderful ripe tannins, a long and persistently silk like finish.  This was one of my favorite wines of the night.  It showed the best of 2009 and what this property does in a great vintage.

Emelie Dombey, the charming representative from Vignobles Pere Verge and Bodega Monteviejo 

The great Montviel 2009, showing the wonderful aspects of the 2009 vintage.

Dauphine, Fronsac

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

2012: Raspberry notes, with mocha, creme d'cassis, black cherry and licorice; medium to full tannins; another sample that seems to be  developing already.

2010: Medium to full bodied, blueberry, jazzy blackberry, a touch of toasty oak and smokiness, lively, but elegant tannins, a baby Margaux wine meets a baby Troplong Mondot.

Fontenil, Fronsac

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

Michel Rolland's home winery.

2012:  A ripe nose, friendly and opulent with a fleshy palate; the aromas are smoky with oak and berry notes.

2009: Green pepper, black currants, tea notes with dill herbs; a long full bodied presence, medium finish.  I expected a larger, riper wine with less green notes, especially from Rolland and in 2009.

Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol

74% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec

2012:  Violet, purple notes, black berry, earth and savory.  I really liked this one a lot because of the different aroma and palate presence.  The violet was really easy to pick out and the Malbec component is a dead giveaway for where it comes from. 

2010:  Juicy blackberry and cherry, medium grain tannins though a touch of heat.

La Rose Perriere, Lussac Saint-Emilion

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc

The lone Lussac Saint-Emilion that I had like enough to write about. 14 hectares, 20k bottles (about 1,700 cases).

2012: Fresh, with good acidity, a well made wine, floral, mineral, with cherry, fine oak, a persistent, but elegant finish.

2009: Elegant for 2009 but by no means light, licorice, blackberry, and cherry; medium to full bodied tannins.



A bientot!

-Tom