2005 Vieux Chateau Certan

The 2005 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 12 after cool nights had led to a slow accretion of concentration. "There was a lot of drought in 2005," Alexandre Thienpont recalls, "and it was a season a bit like 1982." This has a winsome bouquet, more powerful than the preceding 2004, as you would expect, laden with predominantly red fruit laced with anise and wilted rose petals. Impressive delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, fresh and sapid in style, more open than the bottle tasted four years earlier. It veers towards a more savory finish. Subtle, ferrous, almost meaty notes lend complexity and typicité. Persistent on the aftertaste, this is a VCC that is just getting going. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium.

The 2005 Vieux Château Certan is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc that was raised all in new oak. It needs air to show at its best and has a ripe yet inward profile in its red and black currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, and spice. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a tight, focused mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. A beautiful, classic, elegant yet structured Vieux Château Certan, it’s just now at the first part of its prime maturity drink window. It will evolve gracefully over the coming 20-30 years in cold cellars.

The 2005 Vieux Château Certan blossoms beautifully in the glass, but only after having been opened for several hours. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet herbs, anise and spice make a strong first impression. The 2005 is a VCC that makes its case more on finesse than power. I appreciate the understated, classy style quite a bit. Even so, the 2005 is not at the level of the best wines here. I suspect the 2005 will age gracefully for several decades to come, if not considerably longer. Tasted two times.