Certainly one of the oldest domains on the right bank to still be producing fine wine today, Vieux Château Certan is something of a celebrity. Mentioned on Belleyme’s 1785 map, it reigned supreme during the 18th and 19th centuries and was the only Pomerol that Louis VXII would have at his table. Today the Château still produces excellent, full, rich, complex wine and remain one of Pomerol’s superstars.

With prestigious neighbours such as Petrus, La Conseillante, L’Evangile and Certan de May, it comes as no surprise that Vieux Château Certan was named the 2nd favourite in Liv-ex’s fine wine Buyers Choice award. Interestingly, the chateau’s 14 hectares are divided into 23 separate plots according to terroir, with each plot being managed individually. The division is 70% Merlot planted in clay soil, 25% Cabernet Franc, planted in gravel clay and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, planted in gravelly soil. Precision micromanagement of each plot ensures practically bespoke fertilisation and irrigation for each vine, encouraging the best fruit production possible. Harvesting is done by hand.

Because of its history, blend and superb technical breakdown, Vieux Château Certan is a highly sought after product in the fine wine market. Older wines from the 1940 and 1950s have aged superbly and although these are hard to come by, they fetch upwards of €17,430 a case when they arrive (rarely) at auction. However, the volume of stock is decreasing; already very low at just 4,00-5,000 cases, 2017 saw the Château release around 15% less cases than 2016. Whether this was due to unprecedented futures interest or low yield who knows, but a case of 2017 is currently trading at €2,398, a decrease of 10% on the 2016, which trades at €2,672.

The estate has been in the Thienpont family since 1924, and today is managed by Alexandre and his son Guillaume. Thienpont took over the estate in 1985, but it is really since 1998 that he has been on his best form, so all vintages post-1998 could be considered as a savvy investor choice.