Deep purple-ruby. Knockout nose of black cherry, minerals, coffee liqueur and violet offers uncommon depth and complexity. The flavors of blackberry, black plum and minerals are complicated by a note of iron and given wonderful clarity and cut by harmonious, vibrant acidity. Finishes very long and pure, with distinctive balsamic nuances. There's lots of sweet fleshy fruit here but the wine comes across as amazingly refined and graceful thanks to its vibrant acidity, which really extends the flavors at the back. The best young Certan of the last 12 or 15 years.

A bruising, black/purple-hued, full-bodied wine, the 2009 Certan de May displays notes of charcuterie, smoked game, herbs, black truffles, roasted meats, cassis and black cherries. This backward, robustly-styled Pomerol is loaded with tannin as well as extract. Give this full, powerful 2009 a decade of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years. I’m sure it is not better than the immortal 1982 Certan de May.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 29/02/2012

A bruising, black/purple-hued, full-bodied wine, the 2009 Certan de May displays notes of charcuterie, smoked game, herbs, black truffles, roasted meats, cassis and black cherries. This backward, robustly-styled Pomerol is loaded with tannin as well as extract. Give this full, powerful 2009 a decade of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years. I’m sure it is not better than the immortal 1982 Certan de May.

The most powerful, finest overall wine made at this estate since their 1982, the muscular 2009 reveals a dense ruby/purple color in addition to meaty, smoky notes of black cherries, iron, truffles, loamy soil, and spice. Dense, full-bodied, and virile with a boatload of tannin, patience will be a virtue as this wine needs 5-6 years of cellaring. It should last for three decades or more. (Tasted three times.) (93-95)

Tasted at Benoit restaurant in New York. The Certan de May ’09 has a sweet, sensual bouquet that has retained that floral allure, this bottle a little “glossier” than the one three months previously. The palate is medium-bodied with a good backbone that suggests it has long-term potential. It is struck through with fine precision and builds towards, what for the vintage, is quite a masculine finish. Give this Pomerol six to eight years to show just what it can do. Tasted April 2013.

Purple-ruby. Opulent, sexy aromas of plum and black cherry explode from the glass, with complicating spicy/herbal nuances of bay leaf, marjoram, cinnamon and aromatic pepper. Very fresh on entry, with a sweet, supple texture and flavors similar to the aromas. Finishes vibrant and very persistent, with an intriguing balsamic quality and firm, building tannins. This may not be the longest-lived Pomerol of the vintage, but it should offer a decade or two of decadent drinking pleasure. Great stuff.

Bright and ripe, with mouthfilling linzer torte and blackberry preserves pushed by black tea and toasty spice. This has the racy grip of the vintage, which builds steadily through the finish. Turns darker and denser with air. Best from 2014 through 2028. 2,250 cases made. — JM