Vieux Château Certan combines savoir-faire with exceptional soils. Coming mainly from the vineyard’s oldest vines, Vieux Château Certan is every year a blend of the most excellent lots produced at the estate. The brilliance of the wine’s hue, the richness of its aromas and the subtlety of its flavour bring it inimitable style.

With a surface area of 14 hectares (35 acres) planted in one single block, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard is made up of 23 plots, each of them individually managed according to soil type, grape variety planted, and age of 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 surface area, the average age of the vineyard is 50 years. These old vines, together with the beneficial effect of the Pomerol plateau’s micro-climate, enable the different grape varieties to reach perfect ripeness levels.

Second Wine of the estate La Gravette de Certan is made subsequent to the blending tastings of Vieux Château Certan. Produced from young vines and a contrast to the First Wine, La Gravette de Certan is a wine with very fine precision that faithfully mirrors the pedigree of the vineyard. Although it has undeniable similarities to its superior, it offers a more accessible character in its youth.

We are delighted to offer the Gravette de Certan 2016, from a much lauded vintage. Made in very small quantites, the allocation we have recieved is only 300 bottles.

"La Gravette de Certan 2016 has a garnet red hue of a rare intensity with eye-catching brilliance and depth. Aromas of fresh and ripe fruits supported by a touch of minerality, the wine reveals both concentration and balance. The 2016 Gravette is tasty and appetising - an excellent first step towards the style so characteristic of Vieux Chateau Certan. It is certainly one of the best Gravettes that we have produced so far."
(Alexandre Thienpont, Director of Chateau Vieux Certan)

"Made up of 75% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 La Gravette de Certan has a deep garnet-purple color and features lovely redcurrants, black raspberries and black cherries notes with a beautiful floral background of lavender and rose hip tea plus suggestions of sandalwood, cinnamon stick and menthol. Medium-bodied, refreshing, elegant and beautifully seamless, it offers layers of perfumed red and black fruits with a satiny texture and very impressive length. Drink 2020 - 2050.
95 points."
(Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, Nov 2018)