1992 Vieux Chateau Certan
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Tasting notes
The 1992 Vieux Château Certan caused me all sorts of problems with my former Japanese boss, at a loss to understand why I ordered such a pilloried wine for the shop I used to buy for. I get where he is coming from. It is undeniably green on the nose, and the palate is dominated by hard tannins and herbaceous fruit. It is not terrible, but it cannot overcome the limitations of this poor growing season. Incidentally, the wine used to sell out all the time! Drink now as it is past its best. Taken from the Pomerol book authored by Neal Martin.
Critic scores
Average Score
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Tasted in London, it had been many years since I have tasted the 1992 Vieux Château Certan, a Pomerol that I presumed would be well past its drinking date given previous experiences. Maybe not! For sure, if you have a penchant for blockbuster wines with explosive fruit, then don't come near this. It is green and leafy on the nose, diffuse perhaps, while the palate is underpinned by slightly harsh tannins and there is a lack of weight on the herbaceous finish. So how come this bottle was drunk to the bottom? Partly because over an hour it actually improved, losing some of its initial greenness, coalescing on the palate; in essence, this is a wine with severe limitations that determined to put on the best show it could. And perhaps that is why my score is much more generous than before. No, it's not the greatest Pomerol I will ever drink, but it fulfilled its raison d'être - to be drunk. Tasted August 2015.
Disappointing. already at its peak. Some very soft plum and berry character. –Wine Spectator 1995
Medium ruby with a light intensity bouquet of herbaceous cherry fruit, this spicy, compact, medium-bodied wine reveals some tannin, but its finish is short and insubstantial. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Wine Advocate.December, 1994
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.