2001 Certan de May

[Blanquito]

2001 Certan de May
Picked up a few of these for $50 at Ian's suggestion, and I am glad I did... Early maturity, this is already delicious with 10-15 mins of air. Excellent depth for an 01 with terrific brightness. Perfectly poised between richness and elegance. Smooth without being polished. There are quintessential notes on the nose and palate -- graphite, leather, tobacco, plum -- that just purr Bordeaux, almost like something from bygone era, perhaps even the 1980s ('85 comes to mind). Very accessible already, I think this will improve for at least another decade, gaining nuance and an ever-silkier texture. So classy. A- for today, going higher once at peak.

[AlexR]

Patrick,

You wrote "There are quintessential notes on the nose and palate -- graphite, leather, tobacco, plum -- that just purr Bordeaux"

What a beautiful description!

Ever thought about writing erotic novels?

Alex

[AKR]

We're lucky that Certan de May doesn't get the extreme scores that some of its peers do.

[dstgolf]

Love the description Blanquito.

Certan be May has been a very memorable chateau getting us hooked on the 82 that was just stunning for about a decade at least from 2000-10. We had the pleasure of enjoying about 8-10 bottles with my good friend who bought two cases as futures based on RP notes. It has been fun sampling these over the years with good friends. Sadly this has faded and beyond its prime in the last five years. Not dead but when compared to what it was it's kind of sad. I have several vintages sleeping in the cellar including the 03- 06 that I`ve ignored but maybe should at least sample the 03. Anyone tried any of these?

[Blanquito]

I had an 82 Certan de May 4-5 years ago that was sensational. I hadn't had it previously and it was very tertiary, but I loved its rusticity combined with 82 ripeness. Not surprised that it was better earlier though, it was definitely long in the tooth.

[robertgoulet]

This note on the '01 sounds right in the Goulet wheelhouse ....wish I could taste this wine!!

[Comte Flaneur]

The 1998 can be very good too, but suffers from a lot of bottle variation. The 2001 is more consistent, slightly more elegant and lifted.

I am on my second cases of both. The 2001 in particular has been a stalwart. Patrick you will probably never find out what this will be like in ten years because it is impossible to resist.

However my most memorable experience of this wine was the 1985 which I dank about ten years ago. Maybe you should wait Patrick. Because they are similar and the 2001 can evolve and take on more nuance and complexity with age.

[Blanquito]

Patrick,

You wrote "There are quintessential notes on the nose and palate -- graphite, leather, tobacco, plum -- that just purr Bordeaux"

What a beautiful description!

Ever thought about writing erotic novels?

Alex

Thanks, this bottle was inspirational. I'll keep my day job in terms of writing though, I guess. If I had to nominate a writer-in-waiting from BWE (in addition to our already published BD), I would tap Ian. Love his turn of phrase.

[Blanquito]

Any thoughts on the 1995 for $75?