Wine Words & Video Tape

Wine, Words and Videotape

Fine Wine Review site

Château Gazin

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Address: 33500 Pomerol

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 51 07 05

E-mail: contact@gazin.com

Website: www.gazin.com

Château Gazin was always a reliable Pomerol but there has been a recent surge in quality [and price] in recent vintages at this comparatively large estate in what is a small and increasingly exclusive appellation. The 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are all excellent.

Vineyard/Terroir: 26 hectares on a single bloc with clay and gravel with iron soils planted with 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Winemaking/Elévage: Traditional with malolatic fermentation and subsequent ageing in barrel, 50% new each vintage.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Attractive vibrant colour; pure black cherry aromatics with some briary tones; great purity; lots of extract and texture on the palate; lots of matter; needs to settle a bit but has great potential. Spices on the finish. Excellent length and structure. [95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted UGCB 6/4/16. Drink 2022-2035. 93-95
  • 2014 Deep and saturated; vibrant edge; fresh; little reductive at first but plenty of fresh fruit on the nose here; very full and sense of being sturdy; savoury edge almost; fresh creamy black cherry on entry; very fresh and clean; cool with lots of middle; this is an excellent prospect. [95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted UGC 1st April ’15. Drink 2020-2030. 92-94+
  • 2013 Deep and saturated colour; plums, cherry notes with a little undergrowth; fresh; sweet-ish entry with some gloss but also fresh acids; overall nicely done if a little compact. [100% Merlot]. Drink 2017-2026. Tasted UGCB April 2, 2014. 88-90+
  • 2012 Mid depth; earthy blackcurrant and plum tones; extract and matter; fresh plum and spices; nicely saturated palate with tension between the weight and freshness [nice]; attractive and forward Gazin. Drink 2016-2026. 92+ UGC Oct ’12 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; pure blackcurrant cassis, with black cherry notes; deep but fresh; summer fruit compote notes; polished palate; very bouncy and seductive. Very attractive wine and continues the Gazin run of top form. Some pretty serious oak here but the fruit is quite sublime. Grip too. 100% Merlot 14.5% alc. 93-95+ Tasted at UGC 10th April 2013
  • 2011 Deep looking; some resin, plums, spices and depth; palate structured and deep; pretty extracted and chewy. Chewy finish. Pretty structured and serious. Drink 2016-2026. 89+ UGC Oct ’13  [Earlier note] Deep saturated, colour; plums, spices and pure fruit flavours, less worked nose; feels good and deep; sappier than the Clinet though – bluer fruits, less red fruit tones; nice palate, ripe and full, spicy, briary notes; chewy finish but should settle. Plummy and spicy, chewy and dense with grip. 89-91/100 April 2012
  • 2010 Deep colour; earthy spicy plum aromatics; full and attractive; similarly flavoursome palate with excellent depth and fruit; also nice structure with impressive bite and grip. Concentrated and nicely handled. Drink 2015-2030. 94 MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated look; plums, spices, earthy tones; feels fresh and attractive; ripe, fresh fruit on the palate; good grip and satisfaction; freshness and life here, a wine you could return too. Lots of blackcurrant and plum tones to the fruit. Real zap here. Excellent effort. 94 UGC Oct 2012 [Earlier] Deep and dark; dense and concentrated nose; strong but brooding, less open than some; dense palate, lots of fruit, lashing in fact but feels pretty tannic too. Lots of fruit in support though. Strong wine. Very good with grip and length 92-94/100 6th April 2011 at UGC.
  • 2009 Deep and saturated; earthy, spices and plums; pretty thick and a little reductive; some jam here too when it opens up; thick but attractive; black fruits, some freshness and perfume; blackcurrants and spicy notes. Ripe and big with considerable structure beneath the fruit. Very satisfying. Drink now – 2030. 94+ MW Institute Nov ’13  [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; lots of toast on the nose; black fruits and liquorice; very deep and pretty extracted [in the nicest sense]; fat and deep palate; loads of gorgeous fruit; big and deep and lots of oak. Incredibly dense and chewy. Its richness is almost atypical even for Pomerol [though maybe no longer]. Brilliant stuff if a bit Napa/Shafer-esque. The best Gazin I’ve had. 94+/100 UGC 2012 [Earlier] Mid depth, dark, quite tight – a little dumb at first; attractive palate, quite extractive and tannic, not as silky as the Clinet. Alcohol here. Little disjointed. [Later] Smokey note and intense, more forthcoming; palate rich and ripe. Much better. Lots of fruit and extract. Score reflects the second sample. 90+/100 [90% Merlot, 7% Cab Sauvignon, 3% Cab Franc]. Tasted 31st March 2010.
  • 2008 Deep and dense; full, spicy, meaty with savoury edge; this feels attractive; good palate, some tautness but depth and chew; again more vibrancy here than in St Emilion equivalents. 91+ MW Institute Nov 2012
  • 2007 Deep at centre; very ripe and lifted nose; ref fruits, seductive; lots of oak and coffee aromatics; thick on the palate but with more poise than St Emilions of similar weight and style in 2007. Thick and big but this works. Good length. 90+/100 MW Institute Nov ’11 [Earlier] Good colour; tight to rim; sweet attractive nose; plums and some seductive oak; soft sweet fruit; quite nice acid – attractive wine; maybe a trifle short but should fill out. Attractive wine with good concentration.  88+/100 UGC Oct ’09.
  • 2006 Deep black, initially more freshness here [cf La Conseillante], some savoury, meaty quality here too; rich palate with density and chocolate. Palate feels more alive than La Conseillante. Quite spicy and rich. Chewy tannin on the end means this wine needs a few years yet. Pretty good effort though. MW Institute Nov ’10. 90/100
  • 2005 Saturated black; tight to the rim; legs; dense, concentrated nose; later opened up with wonderful roasted coffee bean and mocha notes; palate with ample body and concentration and lots of extract but not over done. A wonderfully concentrated wine with ripe tannins and good grip. Excellent. 92+/100 Dec ‘09

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