Wine Advisor
La Croix De Gay 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2020 La Croix de Gay has turned out very nicely, exhibiting aromas of cherries, berries and plums mingled with hints of dried herbs and espresso roast. Medium to full-bodied, with a fleshy core of fruit underpinned by sweet, powdery tannins, it concludes with a touch of youthful grip, but it's extroverted enough to be approached young.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 La Croix de Gay rocks up with ready-for-business notes of stewed black plums, black cherry compote and freshly crushed blueberries, plus wafts of tar, aniseed and wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate has impressive freshness and bags of black fruits, supported by soft tannins, finishing savory.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 La Croix de Gay is a potent, brooding wine. A blast of dark cherry fruit, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, game and smoke adds to an impression of somber, virile intensity. Powerful, sinewy tannins are pretty dominant. It will be interesting to see if this softens with time. Today, it is a brute.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 La Croix de Gay has a well defined bouquet with blackberry and briary, a light marine influence, perhaps just needing a little more horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, slight granular in texture with just a modicum of greenness that I actually find quite attractive and lends freshness. This has developed nicely in barrel and deserves higher than my banded score.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 La Croix de Gay has a pretty bouquet of blackberry and truffle scents – not intense, but you succumb to its charms. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and fine acidity, though lacking a bit of cohesion on the midpalate and showing just a little attenuation on the finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 La Croix de Gay lacks a bit of focus and fruit intensity on the nose—a bit distant. The palate is rounded, sweet and fleshy with black cherries, balsamic and white pepper. There's more weight on the back end, but it comes across as a little lopsided at the moment. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
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
