A forward, beautifully balanced Pomerol, the 2014 Vieux Château Certan offers notes of truffle-laced earth, floral nuances, and ripe red and black fruit. Medium-bodied and elegant, it has fine tannins, juicy acidity, and a lively, energetic profile. While it shows a refined, pretty style, it remains somewhat understated, gaining a touch more complexity with air. This charming, subtle, elegant Pomerol is best enjoyed over the coming 10-15 years.

One of the highlights of the vintage, the Vieux Château Certan is a wine of total finesse. Sweet floral notes meld into a core of blue and purplish-hued stone fruits. The tannins are present, but they are noble and barely perceptible. With time in the glass, the floral/savory notes become even more expressive, but it is the wine's textural elegance that truly elevates it. The 2014 finished with bracing freshness and palpable sense of energy. Readers who can find the 2014 should not hesitate, as it is truly superb.

The 2014 Vieux Chateau Certan is a blend of 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked in three stages: 19-20 September, 29 September to 2 October, and 7 and 8 October. The yields came in at 38.7 hectoliters per hectare with 13.4% alcohol. It was one of my stars of the vintage and now in bottle, I find no reason to change that. It is endowed with an exquisite bouquet, really one of the best I encountered throughout my tastings: perfumed blackberry, wild strawberry, cold stone and wilted rose petals. Like in barrel, it is not powerful, yet it is blessed with wondrous precision. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and fine tannin, a slightly masculine VCC due to its linearity and precision. There is tension here from start to finish, a sophisticated and cerebral Pomerol that transcends the growing season. It is a totally different kettle of fish to the 2015 (and doubtless the pre-natal 2016). This is unashamedly classic in style, fanning out towards the mineral-rich finish with great frisson and energy. A cellar without the 2014 Vieux-Château-Certan would be a great pity.