Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews. Learn more.
Manage Subscriptions2008 Vieux Château Certan
Red Bordeaux Blend
- France
- Bordeaux
- Libournais
- Pomerol
Community Tasting Notes 54
-
GNBB wrote: 92 points
March 30, 2024 - Decanted 1hr. Intense perfumed nose, violets, meaty savouriness, almonds, black bramble fruits and some salinity. Exceptional - so VCC. Palate has light medium, very fine tannins, fresh acidity - perhaps a slight lightness to the palate but brimming with rosemary, bramble. Has good persistence but seems to be lacking some depth at the moment. A little young, needs to round out some more but will always be on the lighter end of the spectrum. Drink now-2035.
2 people found this helpful Comment -
apple1813 Likes this wine: 93 points
December 13, 2023 - 2008 Vieux Château Certan has an admirable aromatic depth and is relatively elegant as a wine from Pomerol. The developing Pomerol is deep ruby in colour with a load of sediments. It is quite tart and reserved at first. The bottle requires six hours of in-bottle aeration to open up. Impressive aromatics of raspberry, red plum, freshly tiled soil and dark chocolate are followed by blueberry, spring flowers and a hint of incense.
The mouthfeel is dry and verging full-bodied, with a medium level of balancing acidity and a medium level of integrating tannin. Flavours of dried berries, violets and cocoa transition to fine spices and tobacco in a long, delineated finish. The 13.5% alcohol is well-integrated. The empty bottle weighs 543 grams. It is not as ripe, chocolatey and richly textured as the stereotypical Pomerol. I certainly enjoy the red-fruited and elegant expression of the Merlot grapes from the region.
The blend is composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and the balance of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are plated on deep clay soil, with more gravels in the topsoil for the Cabernet grapes. The must is vinified by the parcel in a mix of large stainless steel vats and used oak tanks. The wine is raised in roughly equal parts of new and used French oak barrels for 20 months.2 people found this helpful Comment -
timothynbond Likes this wine: 90 points
July 2, 2023 - Deep ruby color. Bit reserved on the nose, with some coaxing yielding sweet dark berries and vanilla. Medium body, medium-plus acid, medium tannins. Black cherry, dark raspberry and tobacco on the palate. Youthful, but still accessible; would definitely hold for the future.
-
Hazeo wrote: 91 points
December 28, 2022 - A burly Bordeaux that runs contrary to the usual feminine elegance of a Pomerol. As others mentioned slightly simple and a tad austere, but a nice Bordeaux nonetheless. Tannins are still drying and perhaps more time is needed.
-
StefanAkiko wrote:
December 26, 2022 - Opened on Christmas but discarded after four hours of remaining an overly acidic wine that I was not going to suffer at Alte Liebe (best restaurant in Yokohama)
Day 1:
Overly acidic crap.
Day 2:
The same
Day 3:
Some of what the other people are reporting can be found. However, this is heavy on the low pH. (Our BTL bought from a trusted shop in Japan.
Cork measures 50 mm (short) and is of lower range quality. The stamp is jumbled in the right side, "Certain". 2008 is in a different font...
Pro Reviews 16
Add a Pro ReviewWinedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
September 2023, 9/1/2023 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
8/1/2019 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Decanter
-
By Stephen Brook
Wine Source 2018, 9/2/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
3/2/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Neal Martin
2008 Bordeaux: A Day In A Life (Feb 2018), 2/18/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Vieux Château Certan Red) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Richard Hemming, MW
2/1/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Winedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
February 2018, 2/1/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Decanter
-
By Jane Anson
2008 Bordeaux 10 Years on, 1/1/2018 (link)(Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
View From the Cellar
-
By John Gilman
Jan/Feb 2018, Issue #73, Always the Right Time For the Right Bank Another Compendium From St. Émilion and Pomerol(Vieux Château Certan (Pomerol)) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
2/28/2017 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
1/19/2012 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Stephen Tanzer
July/August 2011, IWC Issue #157 (link)(Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol (Pre-Arrival)) Subscribe to see review text.
The World of Fine Wine
-
June 2009, Issue #24 (link)
(Vieux Château Certan) Subscribe to see review text.
JancisRobinson.com
-
By Jancis Robinson, MW
5/17/2009 (link)(Vieux Château Certan Pomerol Red) Subscribe to see review text.
Vinous
-
By Ian D'Agata
May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144 (link)(Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol) Subscribe to see review text.
Winedoctor
-
By Chris Kissack
April 2009 (link)(Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol) Subscribe to see review text.
Wine Definition
- Vintage 2008
- Type Red
- Producer Vieux Château Certan
- Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
- Designation n/a
- Vineyard n/a
- Country France
- Region Bordeaux
- SubRegion Libournais
- Appellation Pomerol
- UPC Codes 3540437504759, 802236002634
Community Holdings
- Pending Delivery 270 (7%)
- In Cellars 2,608 (72%)
- Consumed 760 (21%)
Food Pairing
Who Likes This Wine
More About This Wine
Articles
- Wine2008 Vieux Château Certan
- ProducerVieux Château Certan
- VarietyRed Bordeaux Blend
- CountryFrance
- RegionBordeaux
- SubRegionLibournais
- AppellationPomerol
Add Articles
- Wine2008 Vieux Château Certan
- FamilyVieux Château Certan (add)
- ProducerVieux Château Certan
- VarietalRed Bordeaux Blend
- CountryFrance
- RegionBordeaux
- SubRegionLibournais
- AppellationPomerol