Château La Croix de Gay
Address: 33500 Pomerol
Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 51 19 05
E-mail: contact@chateau-lacroixdegay.com
Website: www.chateau-lacroixdegay.com
Château La Croix de Gay has been in the Raynauld family for five generations and has made a very impressive wines in 2009 and 2010.
Vineyard/Terroir: 10 hectares planted with 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc on clay gravel and sand soils.
Winemaking/Elévage: 18 months ageing in oak, 50% new.
Tasting notes:
- 2015 Deep and saturated look; deepish; red fruits and boiled sweet notes; jammy tones but quite attractive; sweet palate – long and caressing and quite silky; nice texture. [97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 14.5%]. Tasted blind Grand Cercle 3/4/16. Drink 2020-2030. 90-92+
- 2014 Deep and saturated style; dark core; vibrant edge; toasty oak and liquorice; black cherry; some earth and undergrowth; quite saturated in style and somewhat dominated by oak; not too dry on the finish. Should settle. [95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted UGC 1st April ’15. Drink 2020-2027. 86-88
- 2013 Mid depth; vibrant edge; little compact on the nose; lacks aromatic profile; oak on the palate; rather dry currently and the wood sticks out through the fruit rather too much for me; fruit also a little compact and astringent finish. Needs to settle. [95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Drink 2018-2024. Tasted Cercle Rive Droite, March 30, 2014. 84-86?
- 2012 Mid depth; pretty nose; ripe Pomerol with beautiful Merlot tones; easy and pretty; harmonious on the palate with plenty of fruit and some bite. Nicely done. Drink 2015-2025. 90+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; some cream, black fruits – a little hardness too [cold sample]; creamy palate, ripe with plums; lots of fruit and extract but not extracted if you get what I mean. Chewy finish. 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 89-91 Tasted at UGC 10 April 2013
- 2011 Deep looking; ripe red fruits and strawberry tones; spicy and attractive nose with lift and life; ripe red fruits on the palate with some spice; some grip and chew on the finish. Maybe fruit slightly stretched but should fill out. Drink 2014-2023. 88+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Purple edge; sturdy, some spice, little hardness and wet stone notes; little shiny nail varnish too – where’s the fruit exactly? Quite oak dominated palate, wood tannin dominates, fruit submerged. Lacks generosity and felt hard. 83-86? UGC April 2012
- 2010 Deep and tight to edge; nice leafy lift; plums, spices, earthy blackcurrants; some ink and iodine; very flattering nose; big and ripe on the palate, very consistent; lots of blackcurrants; palate saturated in fruit but there is good structure here. Very good length. Excellent. 93+ UGC 2012 [Earlier] Deep black, arterial; sweet and sexy nose with some smoke; rich and plush here too, density but also pretty plump; ripe some violet and perfume; structure and grip come later. Lively structure and grip and real depth. Excellent effort. 92-94+/100 6 April 2011 at UGC.
- 2009 Deep black, intense; very succulent attractive nose, plums and red fruits and sweet toasty oak; luscious; spices at the back. Fat palate, lovely and lush – this is really showing well. Not over extracted and with soft tannins. Coffee and mocha on the finish. Lovely. [Later] Ripe and seductive, very open; sexy; wonderfully lush palate and well balanced. Not over extracted. A beauty. 92-94+/100. Tasted 31st March 2010.
- 2008 Deep colour; denser at core; very toasty oak; sublimated fruit; plump and spicy like Christmas cake; thick palate with lots of saturation. Unctuous and saturated but not tiring. 91 2012
