The 2021 Vieux Château Certan is a spectacular tour de force from Alexander and Guillaume Thienpont. What a wine. Vibrant and magnificent in its precision, the 2021 races across the palate, revealing seemingly endless layers of nuance over time. Dark blue/purplish fruit, cinnamon, new leather, graphite, lavender and crushed rocks all build effortlessly. The Cabernets are dialed up in 2021 and that comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. The purity of the flavors is just mind-bending. Harvest took place between September 25 and October 4. The blend is 67% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Readers who can find the 2021 should not hesitate, as it is truly magical.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

Medium to full body with a supple, textured and firm tannin structure. Velvety and perfumed with fragrant notes of flowers, cloves, plums and raspberries. Broad and layered. Very supple and evolving. Opens on the palate. 77% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon.
James Suckling, May 2022

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 24 to October 6 at 38hL/ha and registers 13.2% alcohol. It is a VCC defined by its Cabernets; Guillaume Thienpont told me ]they used all they had. "I would have blended more if we had more vines," he quipped. The nose unfurls with air to reveal graphite-infused black fruit, touches of undergrowth and tobacco – quintessential VCC aromatics. The palate is beautifully balanced with exquisite definition, not powerful and certainly not opulent, yet built around finesse, precision and charm. It seems to grow in stature in the glass. Pure class. Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2022

Bright, vibrant, pure black cherry and blackcurrant with floral notes. Coolness and harmony. Restraint. Really nimble and fluid on the palate, fine but structured tannins, carrying classic red fruit and touches of just-ripe plum. So juicy and crocquant, tons of energy, silkiness of texture. A wine of great contrasts and intellect. Classically beautiful.
April 2022

The 2021 Vieux Château Certan has turned out beautifully in bottle, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, black truffle, burning embers, mint and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with impressive density, beautifully refined tannins and a long, gently vanillin-inflected finish, it's a blend of 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter imparting complexity and structure. The result is somewhat reminiscent of the estate's exceptional 2011, one of the wines of that unheralded vintage. WK Feb 2024

This has a classic structure, wet stones, smoked earth, plenty of sappy redcurrant and cassis fruits, graphite and subdued power, will easily age for 15 to 20 years. The emphasis is on graceful structure rather than exuberant fruits, but it has clarity and complexity, and the most beautifully drawn out finish. Skilful winemaking. No chaptilisation, 65% new oak, 3.63ph. Harvest September 24 to October 6.
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, May 2022

The 2021 Vieux Chateau Certan is composed of 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose to reveal vibrant, perfumed notes of black raspberries, fresh black plums, and redcurrant jelly, plus suggestions of cast-iron pan, lilacs, rose oil, cinnamon stick, and aniseed with a waft of forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is very tightly wound, featuring loads of layers of red and black fruits intertwined with mineral sparks, supported by very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. A wine that shimmers from start to finish. The alcohol is 13.3% and the pH is 3.62.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, May 2022

Rich, racy and aromatic with floral notes to the fore. Old-vine intensity, something not always evident this year. Smooth, elegant texture with fine, persistent tannins. Sweetness to the fruit on attack then fresh and driven on the finish. Good potential. (JL) 13.2%
Drink 2029 – 2050
Jancisrobinson.com, May 2022