Vieux Château Certan
As its name suggests, Vieux Château Certan is one of the oldest estates in Right Bank, Pomerol and is recognised as one of the finest wines in the region. Run by Alexandre Thienpoint and his son Guillaume, members of the family who also own Le Pin, Pavie-Macquin, Larcis-Ducasse, and Puygueraud, in some vintages VCC is the pick of Pomerol. The single block vineyard of Vieux Château Certan is relatively modest in size at just 14 hectares, but no efforts are spared in its care. The vineyard is divided into 23 individual plots and each is managed based on its soil, aspect, grape and vine age. Merlot is the dominant grape in the blend, with 70% of the vineyard dedicated to it, Cabernet Franc makes up 25% and Cabernet Sauvignon, so revered on the Left Bank, is just 5% here. Although wines from Pomerol are not classified, Vieux Château Certan is seen as one of the elite estates in the area.