Château Vray Croix de Gay 2021

Shows tension, juiciness and freshness; the herbal tannins are well integrated.

Five spice, green peppercorn, cinnamon and blackcurrant on the nose. Ripe and cool fruit, almost sweet strawberries with cool blueberries and lots of fresh menthol aromas too. I like the texture, sleek and well defined, good movement and energy. It's sleek – silky even with forward motion. Not trying too hard. Cool and creamy and salty on the finish.

Fresh currants, red cherries, white pepper and some nice green olives on the nose. Quite juicy and medium-bodied on the palate with fine, silky tannins and a succulent finish. Not a rich Pomerol but it shows excellent balance. From organically grown grapes. Delicious now, but this should hold very well in the next five to six years.

Medium-bodied, bright, fresh, elegant, and accessible; what the wine lacks in depth, it makes up for with its refined character, silky tannins, and bright, vibrant, almost crisp red fruits on the mid-palate and in the finish. This should be good to go on release. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024–2040.

Bright and vivid red cherry in colour, with fruit character just skirting full ripeness – expect greengage and redcurrant, with lemongrass and slate that make it juicy and give plenty of lift, but a little high in acidity. Jean Claude Berrouet consultant, Vincent Millet director, Penelope Godefroy technical director, organic farming. First full year under the Calon Ségur umbrella, after Suravenir purchased from Artemis Domaines in September 2020.

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Vray Croix de Gay has a deep garnet-purple color. Fragrant notes of Morello cherries and black raspberries gently waft from the glass, with an undercurrent of Sichuan pepper and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is soft and well-balanced, with bright red berry flavors and a perfumed finish.

A floral nose, slightly herbaceous, like the scents of a park in spring when flowers awaken from their long winter sleep, with added notes of geranium, rhubarb, and dandelion. On the palate, there are once again rhubarb aromas—a delicate pink variety—joined by notes of microgreens. Everything is wrapped in a lovely, very fine structure.

The wine has a medium-intensity ruby color. The nose is fresh and precise, yet concentrated, with plenty of juicy fruit. It shows aromas of morello cherry, black plum, crushed blackcurrant, blackberry, a tangy hint of wild raspberry, and a very slight touch of prunes and chocolate-covered cherry that appears after aeration. There are also delicate spicy notes (vanilla, licorice with a hint of star anise, green cardamom), a toasted undertone, and freshness brought by herbal and floral aromas (violet, freshly cut rose stem). On the palate, the wine is open, driven by ripe fruit with lovely freshness thanks to the fruit’s tangy edge and a pleasant bitterness on the finish. Flavors of morello cherry, black plum, wild blackberry, wild strawberry, crushed blackcurrant, and a tangy hint of wild raspberry are joined by notes of sweet spices (licorice, cardamom, vanilla, a hint of nutmeg), a touch of roast (toasted hazelnut, toasted oak, coffee), and floral (violet, peony) and minty notes that emerge on the finish. Good persistence, gourmand texture, and freshness.

Dark color of medium intensity. Very aromatic nose with ripe, floral fruit. Fruity palate with a somewhat discreet presence, though perfumed. Medium length.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: fragrant, silky, fresh bouquet, currants, raspberry seeds, fresh herbs, wood. Finely structured, aromatic palate with finely sandy tannins, medium, sweet fruit, bourgeois structure, spicy aromatics, light finish.