2001Data sheet

The winter of 2001 was marked by exceptional mildness and abundant rainfall, resulting in early reawakening of the vines with substantial leaf growth.

The warm weather which arrived as from the beginning of May fostered rapid and homogeneous flowering in all three grape varieties during the last week of the month. The vigour of the vines was still impressive at that stage. Fortunately, the hot, dry weather which settled in as from the second half of July tempered the vigour and triggered a slow, well-balanced ripening of the grapes. A beautifully sunny month of September offered excellent conditions for optimal grape ripeness. The Merlot plots were harvested from September 20th to 27th, the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon a week later.

These conditions made the 2001 vintage an excellent year. With its blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Vieux Château Certan 2001 is a compact wine, combining roundness and depth. It is a complex, well-balanced vintage, with that perfect combination of great maturity and appealing liveliness.

"Vieux Château Certan 2001 is an ideal wine for cellaring, and deserves to be laid down for 8 to 10 years before tasting. In a good cellar, it can be kept for at least another 20 years."

Alexandre Thienpont