Blended of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Vieux Chateau Certan opens with profound notes of blueberry compote, dried mulberries, black forest cake, licorice, violets and garrigue with wafts of black truffles, sandalwood and rose hips. Medium to full-bodied, very earthy/savory and beautifully layered with very plush yet present tannins, it offers lovely freshness and a very long minerally finish. So very Pomerol! (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

The 2015 Vieux-Château-Certan is clearly very sophisticated on the nose, tight at first but opening with graphite and crushed stone infused black fruit. Brilliant delineation and focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and a wonderful bead of acidity. There is beguiling symmetry from start to finish that underpins this top Pomerol. One of the finest VCCs of the modern age. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. July 2019

Expressive and alluring aromas of warm plum reduction and boysenberry puree lead off here, followed by fleshy, seamlessly layered notes of blackberry, black currant, melted black licorice and smoldering tobacco. Shows a lovely tug of dark earth through the finish without sacrificing a sense of polish or giving ground to the waves of fruit. Displays terrific latent energy through the finish. JM

Tiny-production, high-quality Pomerol from the genius father-son team of Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. Beautiful, open nose with strawberry, plum, exotic spice, white flower, chalk. Seamless texture, unreal concentration but utterly unforced. Eye watering tension. Length, flesh, balance, layers; such energy. The tannins are so sweet and ripe. Wow. WOW. (80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.)

Highest alcohol ever: 14.6%. 4,500 cases.
Very intense nose with strong mineral notes - lots of Cabernet Franc influence. Massive impact with really luscious ripe fruit but massive tannins too. Very satiny initially but underneath there is massive tannin. Lovely fragrant top note. Beautifully married. Very sophisticated and with many layers. All vineyard not winemaking. Very savoury - very unlike Merlot stereotype.
Drink 2025-2045

The 2015 Vieux Château Certan is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and explosive in the glass, the 2015 is pure class. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched in this sumptuous, spectacularly ripe Pomerol. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice, lavender, licorice and menthol all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's textural richness and intensity that stand out most. As good as the 2015 is today, it is going to need at least 15-20 years to be at its very best. Is there anything more I can ask of the 2015? No, there is not. This is a tremendous showing. vinous.com, February 2018

Cherry blossoms, licorice, truffle, licorice, cherry liqueur and cocoa have no trouble getting noticed. But it is the voluptuous, decadent, opulent, unctuous mouth feel, with its velvet textures and 60 second finish that steals the show. A candidate for wine of the vintage, this is a future legend in the making. Tasted May 2018

I was able to taste both the 2015 and 2016 grand vins, and these are heavenly, magical wines that could not be any better. Starting with the 2015 Vieux Château Certan, it shows the opulent, flamboyant style of the vintage to a T and reveals a saturated purple/ruby color, a monster bouquet of blackberries, tobacco, kirsch, dried spices, and loamy earth, full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. A thrill a minute, wine doesn’t get any better, and I only wish every reader could taste this beauty. Drink it any time over the coming 30 years or more.

The blackberries, blueberries, oyster shell and violets are so mesmerizing. Full-bodied, focused and deep. It takes you to another space and plane. Dried flowers and dark fruit. The tannins are perfectly crafted. Keeps going as you taste it. Drink in 2023 but why wait?