Covering an area of 14 hectares in one piece, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard is divided into 23 plots managed independently according to the types of soil, the grape varieties planted and the age of the vines.
With a wide variety of shades, the soils are made up of a very clayey part planted mainly with Merlot (70%), a clayey-gravelly part planted with Cabernet Franc (25%) and a very gravelly part planted cabernet sauvignon (5%).
Brought to the surface, the average age of the vineyard is 50 years. These old vines, associated with the microclimate of the Pomerol plateau, allow optimal maturation of the different grape varieties to be achieved.
2011; The great return of Cabernet Franc.
After a dry and cool winter, without a peak of cold, summer weather set in from April. At the end of May, an optimal flowering was followed by a beautiful dry summer without prolonged excess of temperature. All these conditions combined favored an early harvest allowing the development of a very balanced wine with a controlled degree. The berries, small in size and with a skin rich in tannins and anthocyanins, have been carefully sorted.
Vieux Château Certan 2011 is tasty, colorful and concentrated.
The Merlots, of great finesse, are vinous and racy. As for the Cabernet Francs, of rare complexity, they are ripe, dense and persistent. They are the ones who sign the vintage.
By the nature of its blend and its tannic balance, Vieux Château Certan 2011 promises to be comparable to the excellent 1983 and 1988 vintages recognized for their character as a great wine to keep.
After a gentle extraction and three weeks of vatting, the wine continued its aging in new barrels for three quarters.
Assembly; 70% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon