Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Subtle and fragrant first impression. Finely textured, with a sour-fresh point on the mid palate and a slight bitter-fresh note on the finish. Overall, shows harmony for the longer term. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jane Anson, Decanter
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Le Gay has an understated nose, bidding you to keep swirling the glass to eke out the blackberry, iron filing and cigar box aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannins. This feels quite extracted, closing with a sweet, spicy, forward finish and a touch of alcoholic warmth. This needs to muster more restraint, and it represents another Pomerol in this flight that shows less well than it did previously. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
A surprisingly up-front, soft, almost mid-weight effort from this château, the 2020 Château Le Gay offers a pretty perfume of both red and black fruits as well as loads of flowers, spice, leafy herbs, and incense. Medium-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has polished tannins, terrific balance, sweet oak, and outstanding length. This exceedingly elegant, seamless beauty lacks the density and concentration of the top wines in the vintage but is nevertheless a gorgeous, classic Pomerol that will evolve for two decades.
The 2020 Le Gay was an impressive Pomerol when tasted from barrel. Now, in bottle, it has a wonderful, exquisitely-defined bouquet with perfumed blackberry and briary, incense and light pencil lead aromas. It's quite understated for Le Gay, yet blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite grainy tannins. Well-balanced, fresh, hints of licorice and brine towards a very saline finish. There is an edginess to this wine that I like, but it needs several years in bottle.
About the producer
There’s been lots of change at Ch. le Gay since the Parent family arrived in 2002 – with vineyards replanted, the cellars renovated and the winemaking adjusted. No surprise, perhaps, that quality is now higher than ever.