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Château Certan de May

Just as the left bank communes have their divided properties, be they remnants of the Léoville, Pichon or Rauzan estates, so too does Pomerol on the right bank. Here the common thread is Certan, a term which crops up in not only in personal favourite Vieux Château Certan but also Certan de May and Certan-Giraud, the latter property having subsequently given birth to both Hosanna and Certan-Marzelle. Although the processes behind these right bank divisions have more to do with the selling off of small plots of land rather than a grand division of an estate necessitated by inheritance laws as we find in Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux, they are nevertheless just as important in shaping the estates that populate Pomerol today.

It is perhaps fitting that the story begins with the best known of these estates, Vieux Château Certan, originally known simply as Château Certan - the vieux came later. The proprietors of Certan during the early 19th century were the Demay family, a very active dynasty of négociants and landlords who originated from Scotland. It was during their tenure of this grand estate that the crucial division occurred. The process came about following the Revolution of 1848, the third such uprising in France within a century after the 'original' revolt in 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. Having fled the country, fearing for their lives, the Demay family returned more than a decade later to find that in their absence the estate had been confiscated and divided. Most of the estate, the portion destined to become Vieux Château Certan, had been sold in 1858 to Charles de Bousquet, a banker, and the Demays were left with only a small 5-hectare plot. This section, christened Petit-Certan, was the origin of Certan de May. Although I am sure such developments must have caused great despondence, the Demays seem to have made the best of their lot. Some buildings associated with the new petit vineyard were upgraded and converted, providing them both with living quarters and winemaking facilities. Certan de May was here to stay.

Demay died in 1868 but the property remained in the hands of the family into the early 20th century, the last owners being two sisters who finally gave up their tenure in the 1920s. Some accounts of Certan de May ascribe a period of ownership to a gentleman named Talazac Jeune, but these authors are mistaken, the young Talazac having been a proprietor of nearby Certan-Giraud. In fact the Demay property passed from the hands of the sisters into those of André Badar in 1925, and he held sway here until 1953 when, upon his death, the property was inherited by his daughter Odette. She married Jean-Pierre Barreau, but following his death in 1971 the estate was run first by Odette, then for an interim period by the firm Ginestet, before coming back to their son Jean-Luc Barreau in 1975.

Whilst the property remained in the hands of the Barreau-Bader family, nearby Certan-Giraud was acquired by the Moueix family, who marketed Certan de May. It was Christian's intention to rename what came to him simply Certan, removing the Giraud appendage as per the wishes of the vendors, but being a prudent businessman he first called upon the proprietors of similarly named Pomerol estates, including Vieux Château Certan and Madame Barreau-Bader of Certan de May, to ascertain whether this would be viewed as an infringement. There were no objections from Alexandre Thienpont at the former, but at the latter Odette Barreau-Bader was not content. And thus, having prevented the birth of a new Certan estate, the proprietor of Certan de May looked on as Moueix renamed one part of his newly acquired property Hosanna.

Meanwhile, back at Certan de May, the estate having suffered the 20th-century insults of war, depression and the requisite vineyard diseases, capped by a period in the hands of a négociant, it is no surprise that the young Barreau had much work to do. Nevertheless, under his tenure - he remains in charge at Certan de May to this day - the estate's reputation seems to be soaring once again. Could this be a result of his work in the vineyard and cellar, or maybe the consultancy of Michel Rolland? Or perhaps the involvement of the Moueix family, who market the wine, has played some role?

Certan de May: Vineyards and Wines

Today the vineyard at Certan de May matches that which was left to Demay when he returned to France after the 1848 Revolution; a mere 5 hectares of vines planted on soils of clay and gravel. The vines are predominantly Merlot, accounting for 70%, with 25% Cabernet Franc and 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvest is by hand, and fermentation in stainless steel, new vats having been installed by Jean-Luc Barreau shortly after his taking the reins in the 1970s. The cap is submerged by pumping over and there then follows a period of maceration for perhaps five weeks. It then goes into oak, the quantity of new wood depending on the vintage but it will usually be 40-70%. There are as many as 2000 cases of the grand vin produced.

At the annual primeurs each April Certan de May is regularly encountered at the Moueix tasting which they hold in their offices down on the quayside along the Garonne. Its presence there at first confused me, as the relationship between Moueix and Certan de May is not one well publicised. In addition, the label at first glance declares the wine to be from Château Certan, a property that does not exist (as was ensured by Madame Barreau-Bader's refusal of the request from Moueix, documented above). Closer inspection of the Certan label, however, soon reveals this estate to be "De May de Certan". This is certainly Certan de May!

Looking beyond the label, what of the wine within? I only have very recent tastes of very recent vintages on which to base my assessment. Both the 2008 and 2009 are potentially excellent wines, the former of these two vintages reaffirming the right bank's success in an under-rated vintage doomed to forever remain in the shadow of 2009, when the wine was again of high quality. As for 2007 the effort in this vintage was slightly softer, in keeping with the nature of the year, but there are some very good points to it and in the context of the vintage I have scored it very highly. These are clearly very desirable wines which reputedly demand a long time in the cellar, a consequence of the presence of the two Cabernets in the mix I am sure. I hope I can revisit these wines to see how they have turned out. (26/5/10)

Contact details:
Address: 33500 Pomerol
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 51 41 53
Fax: +33 (0) 5 57 51 88 51
GPS: 44.927562, -0.198408

Château Certan de May - Tasting Notes

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Château Certan de May (Pomerol) 2010: A Moueix wine. This property is just across the road from Vieux Château Certan. This sample has a dark and very concentrated appearance. An intense and rather unusual nose follows on, showing some rather meaty-stocky elements, together with hints of smoke and burnt wood. This seems to lack the fruit purity and freshness that can be found elsewhere. All the same, there is plenty of fruit density here, giving an impressive presence in the mouth, but the tannic richness still seems overly big and substantial. While this may not score on elegance, it is still a very imposing wine. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeurs assessment. 15-16?/20 (April 2011)

Château Certan de May (Pomerol) 2009: A Moueix wine. A crimson hue, with a bluish rim. Beautifully crushed fruits on the nose. These follow through onto the palate, where they unfold to reveal a ripe and precise core of tannins which have quite a firm feel to them, along with vibrant and precise acidity. Lots of chewy substance here, but lots of pretty and well presented fruit character too. Impressively good. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (March 2010)

Château Certan de May (Pomerol) 2008: Plump berry fruit on the nose, dark and smoky in character, perhaps oak-derived? Nice flesh on entry, with gentle and polished fruit texture. Good, ripe but substantial tannins, with nice aromatics. This has a softer style than some, but there is elegance here, and muted acidity. It is less vivacious than some wines in the Moueix line-up, but nevertheless it has fine potential for development. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (April 2009)

Château Certan de May (Pomerol) 2007: A dark and creamy character here, with concentrated, rich and sweet fruit in a very ripe style apparent on the nose. Soft and plummy, very flattering, rounded and gentle, with exotic nuances to the fruit. Through the midpalate there is a gentle wave of ripe tannins balanced by correct acidity. Flashy, modern and appealing, with gentle fruit on the finish, but with more grip here too. This could be very good. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2008)