By order of the King of France, the fiefdom of Certan was given to a family of Scottish landowners in Pomerol in the early 16th century. They were the first in the area to receive royal approval to grow wine grapes. The estate was divided up following the French revolution, and what is today Certan de May became the property of the Barreau-Badar family in 1925. Odette Barreau now manages the estate alongside her sons Jean-Luc and Patrick.
Located just south-east of the world-famous Pomerol plateau, Château Certan de May has some very high-profile neighbours. Their 5 hectares of vines (70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) are an average of 50 years old. The soil is partly gravelly with a clay subsoil.
The vines are Guyot double pruned and viticulture at Certan de May has been certified as sustainable by "Terra Vitis". The Barreau-Badar family are very conscious of complications and environmental hazards caused by the use of chemicals in the vineyards. So, anti-mildew sprays are only applied when absolutely necessary, and then sparingly. The grapes are harvested on a plot-by-plot basis.
The grapes are picked into small crates and carefully sorted before being crushed and put into separate vats according to plot. The wine undergoes 2-week cold pre-fermentation maceration and is regularly pumped over for gentle extraction during alcoholic fermentation. Sixty percent of malolactic fermentation takes place in new barrels, and the Certan de May is aged in oak for 18 months, with racking every three months. The wine is tested for turbidity and fined accordingly. Five coopers supply barrels with a degree of toastiness that perfectly suits the estate. In order to respect new specifications introduced by the Pomerol winegrowers’ association, Château Certan de May has carried out extensive laboratory testing of their wines in recent years.
The Barreau-Badar family places great emphasis on flexibility and adapting winemaking to each vintage. There has recently been a shift towards wines that are enjoyable in their youth, although they can also age well. These full-bodied wines have a typical, slightly herbaceous bouquet.
