Gazin 2015

The 2015 Gazin has a fragrant bouquet of blackberry, briary and truffle; a whiff of bonfire smoke emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite edgy and tensile with a fresh, graphite and tobacco-laced finish that is classic in style. Superb, if missing the same horsepower of 12 months ago. This might well be closing down. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Gazin is scented of baked plums, Christmas cake, mincemeat and plum preserves with hints of chocolate box, coffee, tapenade and smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied with mouth-filling baked berries and savory layers, it has firm, chewy tannins and a long finish. 2020 - 2040

Tasted blind. Bright, dark crimson. Rich and spicy. Very complete and flattering with ripeness and a grace note of freshness. Rather drying finish but very satisfying. Dense but not heavy.
Drink 2024-2040

Mid crimson. Dark fruit and graphite on the nose. Dark and nicely savoury. Elegantly dry in texture. Perhaps less generous than some in terms of fruit weight but beautifully balanced. Impressive length and lots of pleasure to come. (JH) 14.5%
Drink 2025-2038

This property is wonderfully situated, right next door to Petrus on the Pomerol plateau. The vineyard is planted with 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple colour. Blackcurrant and black cherry on the nose, with a spicy menthol character on the palate. There are lots of smooth, soft tannins on the palate that build to provide structure around the vivid, vibrant black fruit core. This is juicy and polished, with a long, refined finish.

A straight up smokin’ red from this vintage is the 2015 Château Gazin and it’s a big, powerful, stacked 2015 that’s for those with patience. Made from almost all Merlot (I think it’s 100%), my notes on this beauty start - and end - with “love it.” Cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, forest floor, and tons of minerality all soar from the glass of this sensationally rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied 2015 that has building tannin, a seamless texture, and a blockbuster finish. Forget bottle for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades. 2023 - 2053

Depth of fruit on the nose the palate is fleshy and sweet with ripe black plums. Brighter in the middle a nice balance with the ripe fruit the sweet black plum giving velvety richness and depth at the back. 2025-36

I can’t remember tasting a better vintage of Gazin at this age. Exceeding my expectations,
this is a lovely, harmonious, well balanced blend. This carries its 14.5% alcohol with ease,
thanks to the succulent black fruits balanced by acidity and minerality. Drink: 2022-30

Neither too oaky, nor too green, this is a confusing wine because the astringency is pervasive and this must be accountable
to over-extraction and raw tannins. The fruit, or rather what I can sense of the fruit, is aromatic and enjoyable. The
question is, will it shed its tannic, oaky cloak before the fruit gives up the game? I doubt it.