2020 La Gravette de Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 La Gravette de Certan is deep garnet-purple in color. It flows effortlessly from the glass with flamboyant notes of juicy black plums, crushed blackberries, and black cherry compote, followed by hints of candied violets, star anise, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, the palate is wonderfully velvety, with loads of fragrant spice and floral layers and a long, perfumed finish. If this is the second wine, just imagine the Grand Vin!
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (March 2023)
Produced from young vines, this second wine is juicy, perfumed with a dominance of Merlot. Its balance is just right, ripe and juicy, with acidity and structure in all the right places. The black fruits show sweetness as well as richness.
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (January 2023)
About this WINE
Vieux Chateau Certan
The Vieux Château Certan estate, which in 1745 already figured on Bellayme's famous map under the name of "Sertan", is located in the heart of the Pomerol plateau. Covering 14 hectares (35 acres) in one single block, the Vieux Château Certan vineyard is the fruit of a century of painstaking work and careful decision-making.
The estate vineyard is today made up of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.This varietal mix enables the best possible balance to be sought in each vintage between the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc. The latter performs exceptionally well in this terroir and reaches perfect ripness levels. The grapes are picked by hand and sorted meticulously at the end of each row of wines. After a gentle crushing they are put into oak vats, by variety. Those vats destined to make up the blend of the Grand Vin are run off into 100 % new French oak barrels and aged for 18 to 22 months.
Vieux Château Certan is regularly ranked by the world's press and international tasting panels among the very top wines.
Pomerol
Pomerol is the smallest of Bordeaux's major appellations, with about 150 producers and approximately 740 hectares of vineyards. It is home to many bijou domaines, many of which produce little more than 1,000 cases per annum.
Both the topography and architecture of the region is unremarkable, but the style of the wines is most individual. The finest vineyards are planted on a seam of rich clay which extends across the gently-elevated plateau of Pomerol, which runs from the north-eastern boundary of St Emilion. On the sides of the plateau, the soil becomes sandier and the wines lighter.
There is one satellite region to the immediate north, Lalande-de-Pomerol whose wines are stylistically very similar, if sometimes lacking the finesse of its neighbour. There has never been a classification of Pomerol wines.
Recommended Châteaux : Ch. Pétrus, Vieux Ch. Certan, Le Pin, Ch. L’Eglise-Clinet, Ch. La Conseillante, Ch. L’Evangile, Ch. Lafleur, Trotanoy, Ch. Nenin, Ch. Beauregard, Ch. Feytit-Clinet, Le Gay.
Merlot
The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.
In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.
Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.
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Description
La Gravette de Certan is the second wine of Vieux Chateau Certan. It is produced from the younger vines on the estate, mostly planted in 2010 along with a small plot dating back to 1998. It has fine precision that faithfully mirrors the pedigree of the vineyard with undeniable similarities to the Grand Vin but with more accessibility in its youth. This is a great chance to sample the fastidious skills of the VCC team, at a fraction of the price.
La Gravette de Certan 2020 immediately attracts with its deep ruby colour and delicate aromas of concentrated and fruity ripe berries. The mouth-watering attack, with hints of chocolate and liquorice is coated with soft and silky tannins. Thanks to its balance and long aromatic persistence, it is a wine of character which will delight the taster for many years.
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