CHATEAU CERTAN DE MAY

A Right Bank, Pomerol estate residing on clay and gravel soils, named after the Scottish founding family, the Demays, who had inhabited France since the Middle Ages and retained ownership from post-French Revolution times up to 1925. A two-owner vehicle, this is, with the then new purchasers, the Badar family, still in charge today, having morphed into the Barreau-Badar family.

The vineyard is planted in 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. At around five hectares, Certan de May is a tiny jewel poised between Vieux Château Certan and Pétrus. It was very strong in the 1980s, then slipped a little through the 1990s. From 2005 onwards, the estate has been back on track, producing elegant yet fleshy and flamboyant wines at a very reasonable price.