Château La Fleur de Gay 2014

Notes of warm blackberry and boysenberry preserves roll through, flecked with anise and black tea details. Fleshy overall, with a charcoal hint adding spine to the finish. A solid introduction to Pomerol. Best from 2018 through 2028. 442 cases made.

Aromas of blackberries, wet earth and spices lead to chocolate and a flavorful finish. Tight and polished. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Give it two to three years to soften. Better in 2020.

The 2014 Fleur de Gay has a modern sheen on the nose, perhaps greater use of new oak here, though it retains delineation and freshness. It just misses a bit of personality and terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly dry tannins that frame mature dusty black fruit with (another) dry finish that doesn't drag you back for more. It's not bad overall, but it's not really going anywhere. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Fleshy, soft and forward, with espresso bean and dark black cherry at the core of a supple, oaky finish. From a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.25% ABV. 89-91 pts

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with a lilac hue on the rim. Intense cassis bouquet with fine floral notes, with a hint of tobacco shimmering underneath. On the palate, there was a dull sheen and notes like those that appear with a cellar infection. I hope the sample simply had a cork fault and there isn’t another underlying issue. No rating. Tasted again at Ulysse Cazabonne. The sample at least allowed the potential to be perceived, but here too that dull undertone was clearly noticeable. No rating!

Fresh, mineral, deep, elegant bouquet: strawberries, fine plum notes, pralines, slate, smoke. Dense, powerful, multi-layered palate with bold, sweet fruit, finely sandy tannins, diverse dark aromatics, muscular structure, long, concentrated finish with plenty of lingering flavors. (The barrel sample had a flaw; this assessment is only valid if the entire production does not show this flaw. Since La Croix de Gay from the same house shows the same flaw, the rating can only be verified once the wine is bottled) 18/20 2022 - 2038

The 2014 La Fleur de Gay is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of leather, unsmoked cigars, and wild fungi lead on the nose, followed by touches of dried figs and mulberries. The medium-bodied palate is chewy with a rusticity to the flavors and finish. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

A superb violet nose that carries through to a silky, deep palate. The wine is bright and delivers harmony to great effect.

The nose is very expressive and the wine is dense, very Pomerol in style, a bit showy, with a slight dip characteristic of the 2014s.

Garnet red. Here is a most surprising bouquet with a paradoxical touch between blossoming richness and freshness. Tea leaves, cinnamon, mentholated pepper. A luscious, elegant attack. The palate confirms the nose’s traits with pleasant freshness and suppleness… in tune with liveliness! Finally, the finish is fruity and herbal. A surprising, delicious wine.

With its new vat room and a fresh energy from its owners, this cru is regaining a distinction it had lost for a few years. And that’s great! Dark, intense, beautiful color. Fine nose, very fruity, both ripe and fresh. Palate with delicate flesh, plenty of flavor, a present, soft body, and good length with wrapped tannins. It’s good!

91–93. Barrel Sample. This finely balanced wine shows fresh acidity and tannins in a poised and stylish manner. The bright fruitiness of the vintage preservers in this wine.

The 2014 La Fleur de Gay has much more complexity on the nose compared to its peers, with intense blackberry, black truffle and smoke aromas emerging from the glass in orderly fashion. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. There is still a layer of new oak to wade through at the moment, but there is certainly enough substance to soak that up with time. This is a more muscular La Fleur de Gay than previous vintages: structured with a firm backbone, but it will mellow and soften for those who afford it the requisite bottle age. One to watch.