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Vieux Château Certan 2008

Today the name Pomerol is synonymous with success, an appellation home to a swathe of estates turning out top-quality wines which include, among their number, two of the Bordeaux region’s most renowned (for which, I suppose, you could also read expensive), Petrus and Le Pin. But of course it has not always been this way. At one time Pomerol was an appellation readily overlooked, by those in the trade as much as those who did the drinking (sometimes, I am told, these two groups overlap).

Pomerol’s late blooming was partly the result of decisions made by Dutch traders as they sought out new vineyards and wines. Those who have read my guide to the wines of the Loire Valley (that’s everybody, right?) will be aware of the importance of the Dutch in the development of a number of Loire Valley wine regions; starting in the 16th century, these intrepid traders made their way up the Loire and then the Layon, to the vineyards of the modern-day Anjou and Coteaux du Layon appellations, and also up the course of the Loir to Jasnières. In a similar fashion they sailed up the rivers of Bordeaux, including the Dordogne, but here they bypassed seemingly obvious ports of call for the vineyards of Bergerac, close to one hundred kilometres upstream of Libourne. The Dutch saw Libourne as a port, where wines could be transferred onto larger ships, rather than a source of wine in its own right.

It was not until the 18th century that the Pomerol vineyards we know today would take shape, kick-started by the devastating frosts of 1709 and 1740 which prompted two waves of (higher-quality) replanting in the region. The vineyards grew further in significance when the requirement for goods to be processed through the port of Bordeaux prior to export (which meant sailing down the Dordogne, then back up the Garonne, before heading downstream again) came to an end. As the Dutch opened up new markets across northern France and Belgium, ever-larger ships began docking at Libourne to carry the wine-filled barrels away. It was then that, save for a few ancient domaines which were already well-known, such as Château Figeac, the estates of St Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac began to come into their own.

Vieux Château Certan Pomerol 2008

During the second half of the 18th and the 19th centuries this favourable environment was midwife to many estates which are today household names (well, they are in my household, anyway), including Château Trotanoy, Château Nenin, Château Gazin, Château La Conseillante and Petrus. And, of course, alongside Château Certan de May, a little estate close to the heart of the appellation named Vieux Château Certan.

The subsequent history of Vieux Château Certan is described in detail in my profile, right though to the current era, during which the property is under the direction of father-and-son team Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont. These two modest men are exemplars of dedication, being entirely committed to their vineyard and their vines, their focus and passion coming through in the superb quality of their wines. I remember a year or two ago one December, when I was in the region to taste the most recently bottled vintage, I arrived at Vieux Château Certan for my appointment just in time to meet Alexandre and Guillaume returning from a tour of the vines which they had conducted in a rather battle-weary and dented Peugeot 205. It seemed to me to typify the ethos of the estate, which is vineyard and wine comes first, not joyful fripperies such as a fancy car (and it was a notable contrast with a prior Pomerol visit, during which I had been chauffeured round the proprietor’s parcels in his new Porsche).

This devotion, by the way, is the same that they bring to the wines at the aforementioned Le Pin, which while fronted by cousin Jacques Thienpont is tended to on a day-to-day basis by Alexandre and Guillaume.

Having last checked in on the 2008 Vieux Château Certan back in 2018, in a line-up of other ten-year-old Pomerols, I figured fifteen years was a sensible time to take another peek. In the glass it displays a modestly concentrated core, with a raspberry-claret rim. The nose takes some time to open up, but eventually settles into a soft and gently polished and perfumed style, with layers of sweet violets, perfumed blackberries, light mineral notes and touches of black tea leaves, although it takes a good three hours of repose in the decanter to really get going. And to be honest I don’t feel it ever really hits its stride, although there is plenty of promising raw potential here. The palate starts with a gently supple and savoury style, with a similarly firm and mineral poise, covered with a light blanket of perfumed tea leaves and crushed rocks, lightly polished, with a firm backbone of grip, leading to a long and somewhat charged finish. Beautifully savoury and sinewy, with a finessed finish, powdery tannins and toasted tobacco this is, for the vintage, a triumph. Nevertheless, for my palate, I feel this vintage has yet to really hit its stride; come back in another five years is my suggestion. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%. 95/100

This was a good addition to my cellar, bought en primeur (in a season when the wines were priced to sell, unlike so many primeur campaigns today). I guess I should be grateful to those who led with releases that year, in doing so setting the tone on pricing. And it seems I should also be grateful to Dutch traders of centuries gone by, as it seems they gave me more than just Coteaux du Layon and Jasnières. (25/9/23)

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