2022 Vieux Château Certan La Gravette de Certan

Vieux Château Certan is one of the oldest known chateaus in Pomerol. It was founded at the beginning of the 16th century when the Demay family arrived from Scotland to settle there. It appeared on Belleyme's 1785 map under the name "Sertan". In Pomerol, the place name Certan is taken from the estate. In 1858, Charles de Bousquet became the owner of Vieux Château Certan. The castle buildings we see today were built by him. In 1924 Georges Thienpont, a Flemish wine merchant, bought the property. This marked the beginning of the family's presence in the Bordeaux region.

Covering an area of ​​14 hectares (35 acres) planted in a single block, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard consists of 23 plots, each managed separately according to the soil type, the grape variety planted and the age of the vines. The soils are subtly varied and contain a very clayey part planted mainly with Merlot (70%), a gravel-clay part planted with Cabernet Franc (25%) and a very gravelly part planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). Taking into account the total area, the average age of the vineyard is 50 years. These old vines, together with the beneficial effect of the microclimate of the Pomerol plateau, allow the different grape varieties to reach perfect levels of ripeness. Vieux Château Certan is the result of a very special ecosystem where the soil, vines and climate merge harmoniously to produce exceptional wine. The Vieux Château Certan cellars optimally combine tradition with today's technicality and precision. The vinification takes place in temperature-controlled oak barrels at 28°C to ensure a gentle, measured extraction. This process takes a little longer but gives a much more elegant result.

Vieux Château Certan combines savoir-faire with exceptional soils. Mainly sourced from the oldest vines of the vineyard, Vieux Château Certan is a blend of the most excellent plots produced on the estate each year. The brilliance of the wine's hue, the richness of its aromas and the subtlety of its taste give it an inimitable style. The wines of Vieux Château Certan have a natural concentration and must be kept in the cellar for several years before the first bottles can be opened. As with the greatest Bordeaux wines, they can be enjoyed after 10 to 15 years and have a very fine aging potential.