Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 91
The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2011 Vieux Chateau Certan offers a beautiful bouquet of plums, black cherries, cassis and hints of graphite as well as spice, an excellent texture and medium body. A success in this difficult vintage, it should age easily for 10-15 years. Yet after the trilogy of great wines in 2008, 2009 and 2010, few consumers are likely to pay much attention to this 2011.
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029
Vinous 93
Good bright red-ruby. Expressive aromas of raspberry, cocoa, minerals and violet; very cabernet franc! Juicy, sappy and intense, with sharply delineated if still youthfully imploded flavors of floral red berries and minerals. Offers truly superb intensity and clarity, with harmonious lively acids giving the sweetly spicy red fruit flavors noteworthy penetration and cut. Highly perfumed on the long, pure finish which features lingering violet notes. This was my favorite wine of the Primeurs back in 2012 and subsequent retastings of the wine since then haven’t changed my mind.