La Gravette de Certan 2016

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.Drink Date2020 - 2050Bottled at the beginning of June 2018 using a new, dedicated on-site bottling line, this 2016 vintage of Vieux Château Certan is the most hauntingly vivid and achingly beautiful expression of this vineyard I have ever tasted. When I asked Alexandre Thienpont and his son Guillaume about how they came to achieve such a remarkable wine, they explained the extraordinary efforts taken this year. “We worked a lot this year on vigor,” Alexandre explained. “Tannin ripeness was the key. Finally, the rains in September gave the vines enough energy to push the tannins through.” Other measures included deleafing in two passes, crop thinning and meticulous sorting in the vineyards and winery. “We marked the vines that suffered from the dry conditions and did not include them in blends.” The results of this duo’s extraordinary efforts combined with an already great growing season is pure perfection that will make your heart race from the moment you take that first transfixing sniff.

The 2016 La Gravette de Certan, the rarely seen second wine of Vieux Château Certan, comes from a selection of mainly young parcels (under 20 years of age). It has a pretty raspberry and blueberry bouquet that reveals hints of blood orange. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite masculine for the vintage and for a second wine. A little chalkiness percolates through the finish. While it might feel a bit gawky in its infancy, a couple of years in bottle will sort that out. Drink 2022-2032