| Region of Production: | Pomerol AOP |
| Winery Location: | Pomerol |
| Year Established: | 18th century |
| Classification: | None |
Vineyard Holdings
14 ha
- 70% Merlot
- 25% Cabernet Franc
- 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol: Grand vin. Fermented in stainless steel and oak vats. Aged for 18 to 22 months in 50% new barrels.
- La Gravette de Certan, Pomerol: Second wine. Assembled from young vine and declassified lots. Inaugural vintage 1986.
Average Total Production
- 70,000 bottles
Summary
While its earliest history remains nebulous, Vieux Château Certan, colloquially referred to as VCC, was one of the first winegrowing properties in Pomerol. The estate was founded in the 16th century by the Scottish Demay family, the property gifted to them by the French crown. Vineyards are believed to have been planted in the 18th century, and in 1785, the estate, then called Sertan, was identified in Belleyme’s map of the region. In the 1800s, Certan de May splintered from Vieux Château Certan, which was acquired by Parisian banker Charles de Bousquet in 1858. The château was purchased in 1924 by the Belgian négociant Thienpont family, which maintains control of the estate. Alexandre Thienpont runs Vieux Château Certan and has modernized the cellars, created a second wine, La Gravette de Certan, and introduced new viticultural techniques with a focus on reducing yields. Vieux Château Certan is planted in a single block, a rarity for a sizeable piece of property on the Right Bank. The vineyard sits atop the Pomerol plateau, primarily in gravelly-clay soils.
Style & Vinification Techniques
While many place Vieux Château Certan in the “traditionalist” camp, the estate employs many modern precision viticulture techniques. Infrared cameras are attached to tractors to monitor the wines, and a GPS system observes different sectors of the vineyard. Fruit from the oldest vines ferments in oak vats, while the rest is vinified in stainless steel. The Merlot undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel, 50% new, and the Cabernet Franc does so in tank. The wines age for 18 to 22 months before bottling.
Producer Website: Vieux Château Certan