La Gravette de Certan - Pomerol 2016
IN STOCK
$109.00
Vieux Château Certan is one of the oldest known growths 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 of “Sertan”. In Pomerol, the Certan place-name was taken from the estate.
In 1858, Charles de Bousquet became the owner of Vieux Château Certan. The château buildings that we see today were built by him. In 1924, Georges Thienpont, a Flemish wine merchant, purchased the property. This marked the beginning of the family’s presence in the Bordeaux region.
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.
La Gravette de Certan is the second wine of the estate. It's 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.
"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." - 95 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Lovely finesse and clarity of ripe fruit, leather, spice and leaves on the nose and palate. Medium body, elegance and balance. It just floats on the palate. One of best ever of the second wine of Vieux Chateau Certan. Drinkable now, but even better in 2023." - 95 points, James Suckling
"Darker and denser than the 2015, the 2016 La Gravette de Certan reveals a similar profile yet has more obvious structure as well as full-bodied notes of smoked tobacco, black fruits, earth, and spice box. Deep, powerful, and shockingly good for a second wine, it’s well worth your time and money. Drink it over the coming 20+ years." - 95 points, Jeb Dunnuck
Producer: La Gravette de Certan
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Pomerol
Vintage: 2016
Size: 750ml