Palate
2010 is a ripe, tannic, balanced wine with amazing fruit and wonderful acidity. The Merlot is dense, vinous, suave, full, and with breed. It simply rolls around the palate.
Growing Conditions
Everything came together perfectly this year to make the vintage a success. A very cool and sufficiently wet winter was followed by a lovely, bright and sunny start to the spring that brought about a fast and even budding. Summer was hot and dry but with cool nights; and then by the end of the growing season the dry weather had caused substantial water deficit in the soils.
It was a concise year, with low yields: small berries that were well nourished by perfectly healthy vine canopies with maximum photosynthesis potential.
Harvest
Harvest preparation and preliminary sorting of the bunches on the vines from August 4 to 18, 2010
Harvest under a sunny weather from September 27 to October 5, 2010
Bottling
May 21-25, 2012
Winemaking
The smaller proportion of Cabernet Franc that has been selected for the first wine is all lace-like in texture, ripe, complex, flavoursome and very lingering on the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon is lively, delicious to taste and savoury. Even in such a small proportion, it brings that touch of freshness that is necessary in the final blend.
The 2010 Vieux Château Certan, with a yield of slightly over 35 hectolitres per hectare, resembles in its blend composition the excellent 1998 or, going back much further, the legendary 1950.
