Description

During En-Primeur tasting, I found Le Croix de Gay 2020 to be quite complete. The oak sat on top of rich red and blue fruits. There was a lovely meaty and earthy core. The tannins balanced well with the fruit. I can’t wait to taste this one when it arrives.

Chateau Le Croix de Gay Pomerol 2020 is sold En-Primeur. You order and pay now, to receive the En-Primeur pricing. You will receive the wine in mid-late 2023

Le Croix de Gay is in Northern Pomerol near Clinet and l’Eglise Clinet. The estate is divided into 10 parcels sitting on 4.2ha. The vineyard blend is 86% Merlot with the rest being Cabernet Franc. Although Le Croix de Gay is increasing the Cabernet Franc portion.

Chateau Le Croix de Gay Pomerol 2020 Winery Notes

2020 is a vintage of weather contrasts (up to 26°C range of temperatures between cool summer nights and very hot days) and weather needs (2 months without rain). Thanks to the great clay terroirs of Pomerol, the vine has converted this pressures in complexity and aromatic richness. In 2020 we continue the philosophy of gentle extraction refined since the previous vintage with our consultant Axel MARCHAL. The ageing will transcend and increase complexity of the body and fruity aromas of this wine of exceptionnal origin.

Chateau Le Croix de Gay Pomerol 2020 Wine Notes

Jane Anson
Decanter
92/100
Smoky edge to the aromatics, vanilla, raspberry and coffee grounds. Lacking a little depth through the mid palate. It’s enjoyable, and gains in both interest and complexity as it opens up in the glass. Good, if a little inconsistent. A yield of 38hl/ha. Axel Marchal consultant. Tasted twice.

James Suckling
92-93/100
Aromas of blackberries and orange peel with some flowers. It’s medium-bodied with creamy, tight-grained tannins and a fresh finish. Refined for this vintage.

Bordeaux

Situated near the Atlantic coast of France. The Gironde, Dordogne and Garonne rivers provide its shape. Cool conditions and frequent rainfall, including during harvest time, make Bordeaux quite a marginal region with vintages frequently ruined by rain or saved from the rain at the last minute by timely sunshine.

Pomerol 

Merlot dominates here ably supported by Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon a distant (and sometimes non-existent) third. There is only 800 hectare of vines and almost 150 producers and Pomerol is the only major appellation of Bordeaux to eschew a ranking system.  The quality at the top level is arguably better than any other Bordeaux but it can vary.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The noble variety of Bordeaux’s left bank. Firm tannins, a streak of acidity and punctuated by flavours of cassis, violets, spice and leather. The best examples can age for the long-term. Although Cabernet does often require blending with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Shiraz to fix the hole it has in its middle palate.

Merlot

It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus, they are almost not needed.

French Wine

The land that so many New World (not European) wine producers look to emulate. To generalise about French wine, I would say it is savoury, lighter-bodied wines. They are the definition of elegant, complex. There are many styles, though. And there is a French wine for every palate. They lead the world in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy. Sparkling Wine in Champagne. Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux. Syrah(Shiraz) and Grenache in the Rhone Valley. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris in Alsace. Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. Gamay in Beaujolais.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is pretty special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product. This includes the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. This is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins, and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.