Château Certan de May is a small, traditionally managed Pomerol estate of approximately 5.5 hectares situated on the finest central plateau of the Pomerol appellation, adjacent to Vieux Château Certan and within the circle of the most historically prestigious and terroir-privileged estates in this densely contested and collectible appellation. The estate produces wine from a Merlot-dominant blend with important proportions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, in a style that emphasises structure, longevity and the individual character of the plateau’s clay and iron-rich gravel soils rather than the more immediately accessible and commercially driven style of some Pomerol estates. Certan de May is managed by the Barreau-Badar family with a commitment to the estate’s longstanding traditional character, producing wines of genuine structural depth and individual mineral expression that have attracted a devoted following among the most knowledgeable and independent Pomerol collectors.

The 2021 Pomerol vintage was characterised by challenging conditions across the right bank, with frost and mildew requiring exceptional vineyard management, but the plateau’s finest clay-dominant estates demonstrated the natural resilience and thermal regulation of their terroir in producing wines of concentrated character and classical precision despite the difficulties of the growing season. For Certan de May, whose small scale and meticulous family management provide the kind of individual attention to the vineyard that the 2021 vintage demanded of its finest producers, the result should be a wine of unusual concentration and character relative to the modest production volumes that the frost further reduced.

Château Certan de May occupies a genuinely exceptional position in the Pomerol hierarchy: a wine of first-rate terroir provenance, traditionally produced by a committed family estate, at prices that reflect the domaine’s smaller commercial profile and its less fashionable status relative to the appellation’s most publicised names. For collectors who value authentic Pomerol character and genuine terroir precision, Certan de May in any vintage is a wine of significant relevance and reliability.

Garnet with a refined and mineral nose of black cherry, plum, iron, dried violet, leather, tobacco, cedar and the distinctive clay-mineral density of the Pomerol plateau’s finest central terroir. Full-bodied with structured tannins, excellent natural acidity from the cool 2021 vintage and a long, savoury, mineral finish. Best from 2027 through 2046.

The 2021 Certan de May was picked from September 27 to October 11. There is a touch of herbaceousness on the nose here, a leitmotif of recent vintages that has left me perplexed in warmer growing seasons, though it’s more understandable in this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and modest depth; no greenness here, but there is a welcome touch of pepper toward the finish. This is an improvement for a Pomerol that can hit the ball out of the park if so inclined. - Vinous