96 Robert Parker
One of the top wines of the vintage is the exquisite 2006 Vieux Chateau Certan. A blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, it is a stunningly rich effort boasting an inky/blue/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of forest floor, coffee, toast, and extravagant levels of black currants and blackberries. Hints of charcoal and flowers add to the wine?s exquisite character. What?s remarkable in this full-bodied wine is that nearly 100% new oak is used, yet the oak is largely drowned out by the wine?s concentration and complex personality. This full-bodied Vieux Chateau Certan should be reasonably approachable in 3-4 years but last for at least three decades. This great success merits kudos to proprietor Alexandre Thienpont.
95 Wine Spectator
Shows complex and subtle aromas of dried dark fruits and blueberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, refined finish. Very fine. Solid and balanced, with lovely sweet fruit on the finish. All in place for the vintage. Best from 2014 through 2020. 3,255 cases made. ?JS
18 Rene Gabriel
75 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Franc. 36'000 Flaschen. Also ein eher kleine Ernte. Normalerweise 48'000 Flaschen. Tiefes Granat-Rubin. Direktes, delikates Holunder-, Brombeerenbouquet. Feiner, geschmeidiger Körper, zeigt eine schöne, schmelzige Fülle, völlig harmonisch, dezente Schokonoten von sehr reifem Merlot, gebundenes, langes Finale. Ganz einfach wunderschön! (18/20). 08: Dunkles Granat mit lila Schimmer. Reifes Bouquet, viel frisch gerösteter Kaffee, dunkle Edelhölzer, Hirschleder und warme Pflaumentöne dahinter. Eleganter, sehr feiner Gaumen, im Innern verlangen mit kerniger Note und körnigen Tanninen, zeigt weniger Finessen im Mund als in der Nase und wird als fleischiger «VCC» heran reifen. warten (2016 - 2030)