Château La Croix de Gay 2018

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Croix de Gay is still wearing a bit of its oak, opening with cedar and clove notes before giving way to a core of boysenberries, stewed black cherries and baked plums with touches of bouquet garni and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate offers soft acidity and a light chewiness to match the understated black fruit preserves flavors, finishing earthy.

Enticing, with a mix of crushed plum and loganberry fruit that has good inner brightness, while racy anise, savory and mineral details fill in throughout. Good cut on the finish too. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030.

This has deepened over ageing, with a clear focus on blackberry purée, still with silky tannins and a touch of gloss.

A rich, multilayered nose of dark fruit, mushrooms, earth and violets. Some black olives, too. Full-bodied with layers of ripe, polished and refined tannins. The finish is persistent and beautiful. Creamy at the end. Drink after 2023.

The 2018 La Croix de Gay has a tightly wound bouquet of earthy black fruit with light touches of truffle, but it needs more presence and vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and good acidity, but it lacks overall complexity and structure on the finish. Nevertheless, it should drink nicely for 8–10 years.

Medium-bodied, forward, already showing its mix of truffle, leaf, cherry, spice and red plum on the nose and palate. The wine is soft, juicy and fresh, leaving you with silky, sweet cherries and plenty of up-front Pomerol charm on the finish.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, discreet brightening on the rim. Herbaceous tobacco notes underlaid with black forest berries, fresh orange zest and ripe plum. Juicy and elegant, discreet fruity sweetness, integrated tannins and a chocolaty finish with good length. Certain ageing potential.

Showing nicely, the 2018 Château La Croix De Gay offers a rich, nicely concentrated, textured style as well as notable purity in its smoky black fruits, charcuteries, spice, dried herbs, and cedary aromas and flavors. It packs plenty of richness on the mid-palate, has ripe yet present tannins, subtle background oak, and outstanding length on the finish. It's impressive but needs 3-4 years at a minimum in the cellar and will cruise for 10-15 years.

Deep purple-garnet with a violet rim. Captivating bouquet of ripe blackberries and wild raspberries, backed by refined spicy terroir notes. On the palate, powerful with a silky texture and plenty of dark, profound minerality. The aromatic finish once again shows lots of spice and black-fruited contours. This year it’s truly great Pomerol cinema – better than ever.

Kunz barrel sample 19: silky, dense, fruity, finely opulent bouquet, strawberry jam, mocha, roasted notes, caramel. Creamy, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, generous structure, powerful aromatics, plush finish. Still has room to improve.

Silky-textured, dense, fruity, finely opulent bouquet, strawberry jam, mocha, roasted notes, caramel. Creamy, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, generous structure, powerful aromatics, plush finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2024 - 2040

La Croix de Gay 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It rolls out with open scents of stewed plums, warm blueberries, and crushed rocks, with cedar and black olives in the background. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a lively line, with soft tannins and plenty of juicy fruit, finishing with a lovely lift.

Great textural refinement, a superb attack on the palate, suave and satiny, unfolding with a caressing, fine and silky touch, with notes of violet and fresh dark fruits. Delicious, fairly persistent tannins—a superb success.

A tempestuous nose of garrigue and blackberry aromas, for a wine with a dark, deep, inky palate that ends on a finish with chalky, gallant tannins. A real pleasure.

This powerful, Merlot-dominated wine is densely textured and concentrated. Powerful, dark fruits are as intense as the tannins, offering huge richness. For contrast, fresher acidity shoots through the wine, adding to the ageworthy promise. Drink from 2025.