Producer Article

Vieux Château Certan, or simply “VCC” as many people call it. The pink capsule is really so catchy. That was also the reason for me to get my first bottle of VCC. VCC is one of the oldest estates in Pomerol - even earlier than Petrus. In the 15th century, the Portuguese settled near the old VCC property. They called the place "Sertan" at that moment, which means desert. Most of the plants could hardly grow there, but it was perfect for grapes. Over time, "Sertan" gradually developed into the homophonic "Certan", which has been passed down as part of the name of the winery today.

There is also an interesting story about the pink capsule. In 1924, the Belgian Bordeaux wine merchant Georges Thienpont took over the château. He wanted to find out which of his clients were buying VCC. So he decided to add the pink capsule, so this pink capsule would stand out when he visited his clients’ cellars. He can easily know if without asking. In late 1980s, Alexandre Thienpont began managing Vieux Château Certan and he renovated the winemaking facilities twice - the second time in 2003. He also created a second wine ‘La Gravette de Certan.’ He is the one who began green harvesting, picking riper fruit, and reducing yields. These moves led to VCC to becoming an amazing château and Guillaume Thienpont is today following his father’s footsteps.

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