2023 Certan de May
Buying options
Tasting notes
This opens with a ripe, sweet, intense nose, with a darker profile that speaks of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The palate is contrastingly red-fruited and fresh, vibrant and crunchy, with a mouth-watering mineral edge. The tannins are smooth and fine, with the acidity bright and tart, leading to a long finish. Blend: 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A perfumed, aromatic, and floral Pomerol, the 2023 Château Certan De May is based on 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged 16-20 months in 80% new French oak. Juicy red fruits, leafy underbrush, and spring flowers all emerge from the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. It's one of the more open, expressive, and complex Pomerol in the vintage, and I'd happily drink a bottle any time over the coming two decades. Drink 2026-2045.
The 2023 Certan de May is all substance and power. Dark-toned fruit, cloves, new leather, licorice, incense and scorched earth reinforce that initial impression. There's real breadth and power in the glass. The blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon yields a decidedly potent, explosive Pomerol.
The 2023 Certan de May has a curious, high-toned, menthol-tinged bouquet that bursts from the glass. Are you from Pomerol or McLaren Vale? That said, it is not unattractive. The palate is cut from a similar cloth, with that mentholé element present throughout. Quite luscious compared to recent vintages, balanced with a sweet confit finish, it is a bit of an oddball, but I do prefer this to other vintages that have felt surprisingly meagre.