1952 Vieux Chateau Certan
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Tasting notes
Roy Richards’ birth year. ‘Good vintage, excellent on the Right Bank. Warm spring, hot June, very good flowering conditions. July and August hot with some rain. September put the brakes on and was cooler and changeable with rainfall quite heavy during harvest around the middle of the month. Below average yields but the alcohol levels were good due to summer heat.’ Bright ruby with a yellowing rim. The nose is a bit old and the fruit faded fast. This bottle was losing fruit and drying out. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Knowing first-hand what a great 1952 Georges Thienpont made, this bottle is clearly not representative, suffering mild oxidation on the nose. You can tell that a very fine mature Pomerol lurks underneath, but this bottle, despite perfect provenance, is not the real thing. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove.
This was another wine from Edmund Penning-Rowsell 's excellent Cotswold cellar and was stunningly good. Very fresh and vigorous. Wonderfully direct and vivacious. Long, racy, pure – no heaviness at all. It did combine the richness of Pomerol with the cleansing, uplifting quality of a Cabernet Sauvignon portion. Just great. Beautifully balanced. (JR)
About the producer
The original Château at Vieux Château Certan dates back to around 1770 but the modern history of the estate begins in 1924 - the year that Belgian wine merchant Georges Thienpont purchased the property.