The vintage that Alexander has declared himself for over 2009, it lacks the openness of 2009 but is still silky and welcoming with notes of plum and coffee. Spicy notes develop enhancing these and drawing out the length. One for the cellar in our opinion and that of the man who made it!
FINE+RARE (March 2012)
This is off the charts. I am blown away. This is so concentrated yet perfect. With chocolate, blackberry, coffee. Full and amazing in density and balanced. The grapes were tiny and the production was tiny. I am speechless. This may match the legendary 1947 or 1945. jamessuckling.com
James Suckling
Vieux Chateau Certan The chateau produces wine in vintages that favor Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, or Merlot. 2010 as well as 2009 are vintages where the Merlot clearly excelled and became the preponderance of the blend. The assemblage in this vintage is 86%Merlot, 8% Cab Franc 6% Cab Sauvignon. This is even more dominated by Merlot than the 2009, which came in at 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc. Shaped by low yields and high alcohol, the wine clocked in at 14.5% alcohol. The IPT levels are equally high at 90. As a point of reference, this level of IPT recorded in 2010 is the same as the chateau recorded in their press wine a decade ago. . 2010 Vieux Chateau Certan resembles dark, purple ink. Exotic liqueur aromas, plums, truffle, flowers, chocolate and spice aromas are found with little effort. The mouth filling wine paints your palate with sexy, ripe, liquid silk sensations. Spice, rich black licorice, pure plum and blackberry flavors coat your taste receptors. The long, seamless, intense, pure finish was too good to spit. When Alexandre was not looking, I put the wine where it belonged, twice! Sadly, this will not be cheap. However, if you?re seeking a historic Pomerol legend in the making, this is the wine to buy. winecellarinsider.com
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar InsiderScore: 99-100/100
The 2010 Vieux Chateau Certan, a blend of 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Production was lower than in 2009 and the alcohol slightly higher, but the pH is 3.7, which is surprisingly reasonable given the lofty power and alcoholic clout this full-bodied wine possesses. Dense purple-colored , the 2010 displays a vivid yet astonishing array of spice box, red, blue and black fruits, crushed rock and spring flowers. The oak is well-concealed behind the lavish concentration and richness. Exceptionally pure, this unbelievable wine flirts with perfection. Unfortunately, there is 20% less of it than in 2009, and the tannins warrant a good 8-10 years of cellaring, as I suspect it could actually close down. This is another 40- to 50-year effort in 2010 that should elicit considerable interest from wine consumers. Feb 2013, www.robertparker.com
Robert ParkerScore: 99/100
86M 8CF 6CS So fresh and deeply fruited, pure silk with beautifully integrated tannin. Enormous concentration but so well balanced. This has the vibrational energy of the very best wines of the vintage...and it put a huge smile on our face!
FINE+RAREScore: 18.5-19.5/20
More or less the same parcels and blend as '09 (86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet) but a different style. Less opulent and more classically defined. Lovely 'natural' fruit, huge concentration, more alcohol (14.5%), long, powerful tannins and the freshness that marks the vintage. A harmonious whole. Huge potential. Drink 2020-2060. James Lawther, decanter.com
DecanterScore: 19/20
Super broad and muscular, with lots of dark fig, currant and chocolate notes. A smoky tobacco edge on the back end is starting to emerge, and this begins to gush linzer torte and cassis with air. A very big wine. One of the stars of the appellation in 2010. 86 percent Merlot, 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 6 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, almost the same as 2009. Tasted non-blind. James Molesworth, winespectator.com
Wine SpectatorScore: 96-99/100
A blend of 86% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon cropped between 27th September and 5th October, the Vieux Chateau Certan delivers 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. It is presently being raised in 75% new oak. The nose is very refined with touches of blackberry, raspberry, black truffle and dark cherries with wonderful delineation considering the alcohol level. The palate is very well balanced with beautiful poise, perhaps more focused than the 2009 at this stage. Wonderful mineralité, there is superb precision and energy is this nascent VCC. Just superb. Tasted April 2011. Neal Martin erobertparker.com
Neal MartinScore: 96-98/100
The 2010 Vieux Chateau Certan has notes of ripe plums, blackberries, cedar and spices, and amazing concentration and depth on the palate, with a gorgeous array of dark berry fruit characters. Owner Alexander Thienpont says that the 2010 enjoyed maximum photosynthesis and the grapes had both phenolic ripeness and fresh acidity. This is a gorgeous, rich and intricately-layered wine with great freshness and beautifully handled velvety tannins. asianpalate.com
Jeannie Cho Lee MWScore: 96-97/100
This full-bodied Pomerol from 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon has a similar blend to the 2009 and a comparable perfection. The producer, Alexandre Thienpont, affirmed that the tannins were ‘one point under 90 because the berries were small and September had cool nights’. With almost a prose poem to ‘the energy of the sun’ he compared the ‘unidentical twins’ 2009 and 2010 with wines of the late 1940s: 2009 being like 1948 and 2010 like 1950. The growth of the Merlot was good but restrained with body like the Cabernet Sauvignon. He has used an early ripening variety of Cabernet Sauvignon, used since the 1990s. The alcohol level is 14.5% but the essential elements, tannins, acids and fruits are vivid and will provide a wonderfully interesting comparison with the 2009 over the next 25-30 years.
Ivor DaviesScore: 18.5/20
Very small crop - 35 hl/ha (compared to 42 hl/ha in 2009). A Merlot vintage. only 8% Cabernet Franc. Average IPT is 90, with lots of acid. Very dark crimson. Pretty floral and scented and pretty. Very concentrated and intense. Lots of minerals on the finish. Lovely rich satisfying undertow. Hint of ripe pears oddly enough. Lovely completeness. Great balance and build. Very, very long. The strongest right-bank wine so far. Excellent layers. Very serious – a marvellously intellectual Merlot! jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MWScore: 18.5/20
Bordeaux / France