| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Formerly owned by the same family as neighbour Chateau Lafleur, the 6.5 hectare Le Gay is now owned by the family of the late Catherine Péré-Vergé along with other Pomerol properties Montviel and la Violette. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with vines around 50 years old. It has been producing outstanding Pomerols in recent vintages. The 2018 yield was 35 hl/ha picked from 19th September to October 3rd. Double-sorted by bunch and single berry. 100% micro-vinified in new oak. 14.5 alcohol. Production 20,000 bottles.
This is a luscious and beautiful young wine with blackberry, hazelnut, dark-chocolate and black-olive character. It’s full and layered with round, soft tannins and a caressing finish. Great finish. Seductive young wine. Best after 2027 and onwards.
The 2019 Château Le Gay is a spicy, already complex, yet structured Pomerol that has some up-front appeal, yet will unquestionably benefit from bottle age. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a medium to full-bodied, ripe, nicely textured Pomerol that has abundant spiced red and black fruits, notes of dried herbs, loamy earth, and spicy oak, ripe, velvety tannins, and plenty of length on the finish. Give bottles 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. It should merit that higher barrel score at maturity.
The 2019 Le Gay is rich and powerful, offering up aromas of cherries, berry fruit liqueur, kirsch and dark chocolate, framed by a lavish application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, broad and layered, it's a ripe, heady wine with low acidity and plenty of powdery tannin, showing a touch of alcoholic heat on the finish. From a site that naturally delivers early and elevated maturity, with heat-retentive gravel over clay soils, it's all fermented in barrel to permit extreme selection, picking small lots within parcels in pursuit of optimal maturity. There's no doubting the quality of the site or the attention to detail in the cellar, but to my palate, this flirts with over-ripeness; my score gives it the benefit of the doubt. Drink 2021-2039.
From: Bordeaux 2019: The Southwold Tasting (Feb 2023)
The 2019 Le Gay has quite a Left Bank nose thanks to the potent graphite/pencil box scents that infuse the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, black cherries and wild strawberry fruit, elegant with ample weight on the finish. This is a lovely Pomerol with great promise. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
- By Neal Martin on January 2023
Drink 2025-2048
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Le Gay springs forth with exuberant scents of crushed black cherries, warm blueberries and boysenberries with nuances of cedar chest, Indian spices, licorice and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of ripe black fruits and loads of spicy sparks, framed by plush tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing long and decadent.
Tasted blind. Mid blackish garnet. Animal, gamey nose. Dense and rich and ambitious. Luscious texture. 15%
Drink 2026– 2038
The 2019 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc which is micro-vinified and aged in 100% new oak. The yield is 35hl/ha, giving a production of roughly 25,000 bottles. The abv is 14.5%. Deep purple in colour with a fleshy nose of blueberry and ripe red cherries. There is a sweet cherry cola and vanilla note to the oak on the palate, making for a hedonistic and ripe impression. The fruit is full of violets and dark cherries, with seamless and soft tannins through to the finish. Succulent, heady and creamy.
The 2019 Le Gay has become a little more exotic since I tasted the barrel sample, offering macerated small red cherries and clove, plus touches of kirsch coming through with time. The medium-bodied palate displays ripe tannins and gentle grip. Quite a solid Pomerol, in the typical style of this estate, with impressive substance on the finish. I sense a bit of post-bottling awkwardness here, but it will come good with bottle age. Drink 2026-2045.
The 2019 Le Gay has an unashamed old school Pomerol bouquet that I like, very terroir driven with loamy black fruit, touches of shaved black truffle and warm gravel. It is not a fruit-forward, sensual Pomerol - this is much more intellectual, like some of the older Le Gay that I tasted during the Robin sisters era. The palate is very well balanced with plenty of red fruit, structured like Le Gay usually is with brown spices and clove towards the persistent finish. It is one of the appelation's most fascinating wines and it should age with style.
2025 - 205
Wow. Very focused and decadent with lots of crushed berry, coffee and chocolate character. It’s full-bodied, yet energetic and focused with chewy tannins. Big wine for the vintage, yet fresh and bright at the end.
