La Gravette de Certan - Pomerol 2018

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.

"Currant, chocolate, wet-earth and cedar aromas follow through to a medium to full body with integrated, refined tannins that build on the palate and follow through in a polished way. Give it three or four years to open, as it seems rather tight. Almost all merlot with some cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2025." - 95 Points, James Suckling

"The 2018 La Gravette de Certan is a gorgeous second wine. Pliant, creamy and so expressive, La Gravette is everything a second wine should be. Juicy dark cherry fruit, spice, licorice, new leather and lavender fill out the layers effortlessly. No, the 2018 is not quite the 2016, but it's close." - 92 Points, Vinous

Producer: La Gravette de Certan

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Pomerol

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml