Vieux Château Certan
A historic Pomerol estate owned by the Thienpont family since 1924, prized for elegant, structured Merlot-led wines with an unusually high Cabernet Franc component.
About Vieux
Vieux Château Certan, known to admirers simply as VCC, is one of Pomerol's oldest and most respected estates, its origins traced by historians to around 1770. The Belgian merchant Georges Thienpont bought the property in 1924, and it has remained in the family ever since, passing through Léon, then Alexandre, and today Guillaume Thienpont. The roughly 14-hectare vineyard sits on the high Pomerol plateau near Pétrus, and its wines are distinguished by a relatively high proportion of Cabernet Franc alongside Merlot, giving them a structured, perfumed elegance rather than pure opulence. Averaging about 5,000 cases of the grand vin a year, VCC is regarded as a benchmark for classically styled Right Bank Bordeaux, capable of decades of cellaring. Its long, unbroken family stewardship and consistency across vintages have secured its standing among Pomerol's elite.
Flagship wines
- Vieux Château Certan
- La Gravette de Certan
Editorial notes
A Right Bank classic that rewards cellaring; the Cabernet Franc component gives it more structure and aromatic lift than many Pomerol peers.