1936 Vieux Chateau Certan
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Tasting notes
‘Awarded only one star by Broadbent, although he admits that this was certainly an overlooked vintage. There was a wet winter, with unusually warm weather in February which woke up the vines and lasted until mid-April. May’s unsettled weather resulted in lots of mildew and an uneven flowering. Hail and rain punctuated the warm summer, and the vintage was somewhat saved by a fine September with cool nights. Picking started on the 1 October.’ Dark glowing ruby. Sweet-and-sour nose. And on the palate those two elements still haven’t knit together. A little awkward, with the acidity starting to dominate. More old wine than Pomerol. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1936 Vieux Château Certan comes from a forgotten and disparaged vintage plagued by mildew and uneven flowering, salvaged by a Second Summer. "The 1936 vintage gives me a lot of pleasure," enthused Georges Thienpont to his customers. It has a light nose, somewhat leathery, but it opens nicely with darker fruit than the 1934, a hint of black olive and an estuarine element. The palate is a bit straight-laced and lacks flair. Yet there is balance and some freshness, less VA than other vintages and sour black cherry on the slightly bitter finish. It seems to have very high acidity, and perhaps the fruit is not quite ripe. Yet unequivocally better than anyone could reasonably expect, though drink soon...if you ever find it. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove.
About the producer
The original Château at Vieux Château Certan dates back to around 1770 but the modern history of the estate begins in 1924 - the year that Belgian wine merchant Georges Thienpont purchased the property.