| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Certan de May
This great terroir sandwiched between Vieux Château Certan, Petrus and La Fleur Petrus, on the high plateau of Pomerol, has been owned for many years by the Barrau-Badar family. Beautiful coffee, cedar wood, Christmas fruitcake, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit jump from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, multi-layered, and very impressive Certan de May. I don’t remember it showing this well in barrel and post-bottling, but it is strutting its stuff at age 10, and has a good 20 years of upside left to it. This is a beauty. I especially admire the layered, textural style of the wine. Drink it over the next 20 years. Drink 2015-2035.
Tasted at the chateau. The 2005 Certan-de-May has a deep garnet core. It has a deep, rich, compelling nose with cassis, black plum, black cherries, that essence of minerality that inflects the 2004, gaining in intensity all the time. The palate is full-bodied with firm, slightly chewy tannins with notes of black fruit infused with tobacco, tar and smoke. The texture is grippy and there is great depth. At the moment, it does not quite have the poise and the elegance of the 2004, but like say the 1989 or 1990, this will is a Certan-de-May for the long-term. Tasted September 2009.
Dark rusty crimson. Richly scented with even a hint of oak - most unusual on a Moueix wine. Very intense aromas, not especially fruity. Sweet start and very silky texture. Fresh finish. Quite brisk and palate-cleansing. Very slightly astringent on the finish. Drink 2015-27
Moderately saturated medium red. Somewhat shallow aromas of redcurrant, plum and tobacco. Soft, plump flavors of redcurrant, smoke, tobacco and earth are given some shape by firm tannins. Finishes clean and persistent. Not bad, but this bottle is not up to the quality of the barrel sample I tried last spring.
Fragrant dark fruit with integrated spice and vanilla. Sweet-fruited core, good balance and length. Powerful tannic frame. Drink 2012-2030.
This property has returned to form following a listless period of irregularity that began after a brilliant succession of top wines in the eighties (1982, 1985, 1986, and 1988). Perhaps the finest wine since that outstanding quartet, the deep ruby/purple-tinged 2005 offers up scents of menthol, black cherries, raspberries, cassis, coffee, and a hint of new saddle leather. Full-bodied and powerful with a firm structure and high, but sweet, well-integrated tannin, this is not a Pomerol for near-term gratification. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035
A brilliant effort, the 2005 is unquestionably the finest Certan de May since the decade of the eighties. A deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by scents of cedar, menthol, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and cassis. The complex, fruit-filled aromatics are backed up by a full-bodied, rich palate with layers of fruit, firm structure, formidable tannin, and a backward style. This sensational Pomerol should prove to be very long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.
The finest Certan de May in many years (thanks to the intervention of famed wine consultant Michel Rolland), the dense purple-colored 2005 exhibits notes of camphor, creosote, plums, black cherry liqueur, currants, licorice, and pain grille. Full-bodied, powerful, and concentrated, with good freshness, moderately high tannin, and tremendous persistence as well as depth, this wine should "rock and roll" between 2010-2025.
Pure crushed grapes. Incredible nose. Full-bodied, with super concentration and ultraripe tannins. It lasts for minutes. Classy but muscular. Certan de May is back with force.
