Château Le Gay 2017

Appears quite extract-rich and therefore a bit forward, with somewhat harsh tannins, but certainly excellently made. Needs to age.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Le Gay offers very serious, classic notes of plum preserves, mulberries and baked black cherries with hints of tilled soil, cloves, cedar chest and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has firm, grippy tannins and plenty of muscular fruit, finishing on a stewed tea note.

A whiff of mocha curls around the plum, blackberry and boysenberry compote flavors, while ganache, roasted apple wood and graphite details course through the finish. Shows lots of range and depth. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038. 1,083 cases made.

This has good volume and mouthfeel, with rich, well-feathered cassis and powerful dark chocolate. It's one to age, an opulent, decadent wine that's still quite tight. Leave it a good few years.

Juicy, soft and velvety on the palate with plenty of brambleberry character. Full-bodied. Round, creamy tannins and a flavorful finish. Drink after 2023.

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Very ripe fruit, 100% intégrales barriques – i.e. fermented in new oak barriques. Black with a dark purple core. Almost raisiny. Dark, savoury and charry on the palate but there’s freshness too. Very dark on the finish. A bit hard and tough overall. (JH)

The 2017 Le Gay has a slightly savory bouquet, hints of meat juice infusing the brambly red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, notes of tea leaf, blackberry and raspberry with a slightly hard finish that should soften with bottle age. It is more austere than expected although that can often be the case with the property. A serious Pomerol that will require some bottle age... I just wish it were less “serious”!

Opaque in hue, lusciously textured, the wine is rich, supple and fresh with a strong, dark chocolate, plum liqueur and licorice character that stays in the mouth throughout the finish. Aging will add even more to this wine. Made from blending 90% Merlot

Dark ruby, with purple reflections, and a discreet bright rim. There is a smoky underlay, black berry fruit, intense tobacco nuances, delicate bergamot, and a dark minerality. Juicy, ripe cherry, elegant and balanced, ripe supporting tannins, with a fine minerality, and a salty finish, it is a balanced food wine.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 23 hl/ha, 14% vol. alcohol, production 15,000 bottles) Concentrated, elegant, mineral bouquet, black cherries, strawberries, currants, fine graphite, dark tobacco, cedar. Dense, multilayered, aromatic palate with velvety fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a tightly woven, silky structure, diverse aromatics, long, dense, fresh finish.

(90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 23 hl/ha, 14% vol. alcohol, production 15,000 bottles) Concentrated, elegant, mineral bouquet with black cherries, strawberries, currants, a fine hint of graphite, dark tobacco, cedar. Dense, layered, aromatic palate with velvety fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a tightly woven, silky structure, diverse aromatics, and a long, dense, fresh finish. 18/20 2024 - 2040

Opulent, enveloping substance that is for now a bit too monolithic; let’s give it time to gain in nuance.

Dense, fruity wine with bright acidity, crunchy tannins, and a very long, sapid finish, with a hint of dryness.

The nose is fruity, indulgent, elegant, well-crafted and racy. It reveals notes of fleshy blackcurrant, fleshy blackberry and, more subtly, fleshy raspberry, combined with small/fine hints of cornflower, a racy/argillaceous minerality, as well as fine/discreet touches of sweet spices and a discreet hint of camphor. The palate is fruity, balanced and suave, offering good definition, a fine creaminess and some roundness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of boysenberry and fleshy blackcurrant, combined with small notes of black cherry, crushed raspberry, toastiness, chocolate/tonka bean, along with a subtle touch of vanilla, racy minerality, cornflower and fine hints of toast on the finish. The tannins are fine and well-handled. Good length.

Logo on the cork: AL Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Very aromatic nose, with ripe, smooth fruit over a woody backdrop. The palate is soft-bodied and fruity, developing into a flavorful, very caressing texture, with no tannic presence on the finish. Average length. Tasted from a half-bottle.

Showing beautifully in my tastings, the 2017 Chateau Le Gay makes the most of this solid vintage. Almost all Merlot from a great terroir on the plateau of Pomerol, it reveals a purple/ruby hue as well as medium to full-bodied notes of black cherry and cassis fruits, toasted spice, spring flowers, and damp earth. Shining more for its complexity and elegance than sheer power, it nevertheless has wonderful fruit, plenty of tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 15-20 years.

92–94. Barrel Sample. This is a dense, opulent wine—the epitome of the Pomerol appellation. It is generous and open, with great dark fruits and integrated tannins that will allow the wine to age. Drink from 2024.