Château La Croix de Gay 2023

Delicate, herbal, sour cherries, damsons; light-footed on the palate, fine tannins, showing harmony and elegance, with a pleasantly long finish, ending on blood orange. Likely to be enjoyable early.

A lighter-styled Pomerol that works for me in this vintage as it exudes elegance with mid-palate plum and red-fruit juiciness, accentuated by light oak-derived toast. A hint of chopped herb adds freshness to the finish. A wine to enjoy on the younger side.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Dark cherries, violets, some blackberry confit, inviting bouquet, some tangerine zest. Juicy, elegant, ripe cherries, substantial texture, round tannins, fine nougat on the finish, shows length and a certain ageing potential.

Restrained opening, delicately smoky aromas, graphite, with red currant nectar and blood orange zest in the background. On the compact palate, soft texture, vibrant tension and a tightly knit body. Focused finish with morello cherries, cooled rosehip tea and sandy astringency.

The second vintage where this seems to be slightly underperforming its usual excellence of Pomerol character. Rich spice notes, grilled and enticing oak, soft strawberry fruit that seems to be skirting full ripeness. Sibling estate to La Fleur de Gay, both owned by the Raynaud-Lebreton family, Axel Marchal consultant. Yield of 42 hl/ha.

Logo on the cork: A (Amorim) It earned “my best score ever given to this estate En Primeur”. Today it confirms its standing. Beautiful deep, intense dark red colour. Very aromatic, refined, fruity and subtle nose. Notes of pine needles. Becomes more fragrant when the glass is swirled. Precise on the attack, with plenty of flavour through the mid-palate and a fine, silky richness all along the palate, the wine develops powerfully without losing its sweetness. The finish is long and sappy, rich in aromas, with tannins that remain consistently velvety, leaving a great taste on the palate. A great success. Pomerol’s number-one outsider. The 2023 stands shoulder to shoulder with the 2022s. Bravo!