Wine Advisor
La Croix De Gay 2010
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux 2010 tasting. The La Croix de Gay has a well-defined bouquet with lifted wild strawberry and blackberry aromas mixed with cedar and cigar box. There is good vigour and a palpable sense of energy here. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins, well judged acidity, plenty of oak but it is well used and assimilated with the fruit. This is very fine, very composed and probably good value. Tasted January 2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A bigger, more structured and intense La Croix de Gay than usual (this is generally a more elegant, finesse-styled Pomerol), the medium to full-bodied 2010 possesses an opaque ruby/purple color along with surprising intensity and copious aromas of berry fruit intermixed with vanillin, mocha and earth. Given the wine’s tannic structure and size, I would cellar it for 4-5 years and drink it over the following 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Syndicat de Pomerol. This has a generous bouquet with some attractive earthy notes and just the right amount of herbaceous character. The palate is full-bodied with grippy ripe tannins, the oak a little disjointed at the moment but will hopefully coalesce by the time of bottling. This may warrant a higher mark after bottling. Tasted April 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The 2010 La Croix de Gay has a very Burgundian bouquet with lifted red cherries, wild strawberry and minerals – all wonderfully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with tense, very fine and almost filigree tannins. There is a wonderful symmetry and poise to this La Croix de Gay – the finest I have tasted in recent years (despite the turbulent background story of its division.) Bravo. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The blend is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it has turned out well in 2010, producing a richly fruity, elegant style of Pomerol with loads of berry fruit, cedar wood and roasted herbs as well as hints of coffee bean and cedar. Rich, medium to full-bodied , but never losing its finesse (which is usually the style of La Croix de Gay), this wine should drink nicely for up to 15 years. The 25-acre vineyard produces wine with the assistance of Michel Rolland. Dr. Alain Raynaud has sold his interest to his sister, and part of the vineyard was actually sold to Chateau L'Evangile.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 La Croix de Gay gives up notes of new leather, warm blackberries and black cherry compote with wafts of menthol, chocolate box and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a muscular core of black fruits with a solid line of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on an invigorating herbal note.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 La Croix de Gay showed well in its youth, but is time beginning to take its toll? It has a ripe and generous bouquet with ample blackberry, red plum and light violet aromas. Good intensity and delineation too. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, good acidity with potent pencil lead notes towards the slightly strict and linear finish. This is a little too serious. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
About the Producer
Chateau La Croix de Gay is a member of the Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux and one of the Pomerol appellations in Bordeaux, France. Château Gay Cross has been run by five generations of the Ravnaud family, whose history is closely linked to the Pomerol appellation. The current owner of the estate is Chantal Lebreton. Located in the best location on the Pomerol plateau, Château Gay Cross combines traditional methods with modern techniques. Nourished by the excellent terroir of Pomerol, the wines of Gay Cross are capable of giving off aromas of vanilla, almond and red fruit, winning awards in various competitions and satisfying the discerning wine lover. Gay Cross currently has 4 hectares of vineyard, 95% of which is devoted to Merlot grapes and 5% to Cabernet Franc, all of which have an average age of 30 years. When the grapes reach the ideal state of ripeness, the winery harvests them by hand. The harvested grapes are selected, broken into skins and then vinified in the traditional way. The wine is then matured in 50% new French oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled in the winery
