Winemaker Notes
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The complex aromas of brambleberries and fresh herbs such as lemongrass and Italian basil come through beautifully here, giving a liveliness and focus. Medium-bodied with firm and silky tannins and a racy and refined finish. Tight. Really lovely. More elegant and thoughtful than in the past.
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the more understated wines in the appellation, the 2022 Château Le Gay is based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that comes from a great terroir on the upper plateau in Pomerol. Mulled black cherries, flowers, new leather, and truffle earth, as well as some subtle smoky nuances, all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a supple, elegant, layered mouthfeel, integrated tannins, and outstanding length. It needs 4-5 years in the cellar and will see its 30th birthday in fine form. It shows the richer style of the vintage yet relies more on balance and elegance than power.
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Decanter
Intensely perfumed and ripe on the nose, potent and smells a bit alcoholic. Ripe and fruit forward, smooth and supple, this has nice energy and motion despite the clear concentration of the fruit. Acidity is high and has a soft sweetness too, giving some extra nuance and shine to the palate. Well controlled, bright and vibrant - this packs a punch in terms of flavor and tannic strength although is also juicy, really bright and tangy. The tannins need to meld more with the acidity but there's lots of potential here.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Le Gay offers up aromas of rich cassis, menthol and toasty new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and rather muscular palate framed by sweet, liberally extracted tannins that assert themselves on the finish. While this remains quite a chunky, stylized wine, defined by its fermentation in new oak barriques, it is comparatively restrained for this estate in such an extreme vintage.
Barrel Sample: (91-93)+ -
Wine Spectator
Not shy with the toast, this offers a layer of mocha and açaí paste draped over fresher flavors of raspberry and red currant coulis. The fruit shows persistence through the finish, but this seems more about power than range or freshness. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.