2019 Vieux Château Certan Pomerol

The nose is so beautiful, offering dried flowers, white pepper and other spices. Yet,there's also bright, blue fruit. Tar, too. Love the depth of fruit here. The wine flows across the palate with so well integrated tannins. You just want to drink it. Glorious. The cabernet in this makes it almost Medoc-like. A blend of 78% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 7% cabernet sauvignon.

A sophisticated wine, glamourous yet refined with nuances of perfumed flowers, liquorice, crushed stones, dark chocolate and blackcurrants - all subtly presented but so fitting together. Great energy and clarity from the start, the flavours just hit the tongue and expand but slowly and carefully, the wonderful perfume permeating and driving down layer upon layer of softly sweet, ripe fruit and salty mineral freshness. Multi-dimensional in the best way - one you want to sit with and enjoy the aromatic complexities. Divine.

The 2019 Vieux Château Certan is deep in colour. It has a fabulous, very intense nose that explodes from the glass with billowing scents of black cherries, freshly shaved black truffles, raspberry and light rose petal aromas. The palate is so sensual and seductive on the entry, its creamy texture irresistible and completely disguising the structure underneath. Interestingly this VCC really comes into its own after 12-hours of opening, revealing more quintessential Pomerol characteristics and more grip on the finish. Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont fashioned a brilliant follow-up to the glorious 2018.