Château Certan de May Vertical (2019-2021)

Tar and dried tobacco with black cherries and blackberries. Stones, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a flavorful finish. Really tightly wound. Try after 2026.

The 2019 Certan de May has turned out very well, offering up aromas of rich cherries, cassis, loamy soil and creamy but nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and lively, with fine concentration, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish, this is beautifully balanced Pomerol that no doubt benefits from the perspective of consultant Jean-Claude Berrouet.

Ripe nose with some black truffle, dark chocolate and blackcurrant. On the palate this is juicy and succulent, a lighter fresher wine than the two before, cooling mint, minerality, bright strawberry and raspberry leaf. lifted still with concentration and pomerol power but also glossy with some confidence shining through. Nicely integrated tannins and long length.

Lots of violets and flowers with hints of smoke and spice. Then dried flowers. Full and broad with tannins that flow across the palate. Chiselled. The real deal here for Pomerol. 65% merlot, 25% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon. Give this four to five years.

Ripe fruit aromas alongside vanilla and cinnamon, dark and brooding with soft floral flecks. A little more serious than I was expecting, this is taught and focused, direct, streamlined - it feels little tight and withholding some of its joy right now. Clearly powerful and potent, a core of ripe fruit but the salinity is showing through with wet stone, graphite, pencil lead touches alongside cool minty blueberries. Feels as If it hasn't quite hit its stride, but it's sleek with a lovely tannic impression. A bit of heat comes across in fig elements, with some cedar and cinnamon and liquorice spicing, but it works well with the vintage, taking what was given and presenting a fuller, bolder style. Will take time to come around but will be lovely when it does. They haven't tried too hard here and I love the focus and purity you get on the mid-palate.

This has some lovely fruit -- and with good definition, too (not easy in this vintage) -- with plum, cassis and blackberry notes that sail through prettily, laced with black tea, incense and anise. Ends with a subtle smoldering alder accent. A lovely wine that avoids the vintage's pratfalls. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2036. 1,550 cases made, 75 cases imported.

The wine from this 13-acre vineyard is full of smoky, black-fruit aromas. It is fine with firm structure, some solid tannins and a fresh aftertaste. Drink from 2028.

Good depth and breadth of complexity here showing cassis, black plums, fresh blackberries, iron, cigar and dark chili chocolate. Plump and juicy on the palate with medium to full body and a long and juicy finish. Tannins are fresh and caressing. An excellent delivery from the vintage. Drink or hold.

The 2021 Certan de May has also turned out nicely in bottle, bursting with attractive aromas of dark berries, cassis, licorice and fruitcake, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and dynamic palate with good depth of fruit, supple tannins and impressive length on the finish. As readers may remember, this Merlot-dominant blend incorporates fully 37% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, a figure that reflects the vintage (which favored these varieties) as well as a tendency to replant with Cabernet rather than Merlot over the last decade.