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Le Gay 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

Formerly owned by the same family as neighbour Chateau Lafleur, the 6.5 hectare Le Gay is now owned by the family of the late Catherine Péré-Vergé along with other Pomerol properties Montviel and la Violette. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with vines around 50 years old. It has been producing outstanding Pomerols in recent vintages.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château le Gay

Label

Tasting Notes

One of the best Le Gays in years. Full-bodied and polished with superfine tannins. Layered. Goes on for minutes.

98/99
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2017

The 2016 Le Gay has an impressive bouquet of intense black cherry, raspberry, black truffle and smoke aromas that waft temptingly from the glass. The palate is rounded on the entry, and supple, caressing and fleshy in the mouth, offering mocha-tinged red fruit, tobacco and a splash of white pepper toward the quite persistent finish. Very fine, though I suspect the 2015 will be a notch better in the long run. Drink 2022-2040.

93
Neal Martin, vinous.com (Jan 2019), January 2019

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Le Gay has a rock star nose of flamboyant Black Forest cake, crushed redcurrants and lilacs scents with underlying nuances of yeast extract, wood smoke, iron ore and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, the palate truly struts its stuff with generous black and red fruits and a fantastic line of super ripe tannins, building to a very long, seductively perfumed finish.

Drink Date
2021 - 2045

95+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (interim en), November 2018

The late Catherine Pere Verge's sons now run this estate. This has a wonderful depth to the fruit, with coffee grounds balanced by the intense fruit. A little extracted but still very very beautiful.

91
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2017

Very dark crimson. Very extreme and sweet and concentrated. Not a good example.
Drink 2023-2030

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2017

Formerly owned by the same family as neighbour Chateau Lafleur, the 6.5 hectare Le Gay is now owned by the family of the late Catherine Péré-Vergé along with other Pomerol properties Montviel and la Violette. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with vines around 50 years old. It has been producing outstanding Pomerols in recent vintages. 18,000 bottles produced at 27hl/ha in 2016. Spicy, juicy fruit on the nose with lots of vanilla and cocoa, the palate shows great sweetness and purity, with violets, blossoms and red cherries. The tannins are firm but integrated and ripe, providing structure for the plush, ripe fruit core. The finish is long, spicy and smoky, revealing a hedonistic but sophisticated Pomerol.

95+
Farr Vintners, April 2017

The oak is quite dominant a hint of coconuts the start of the palate fresh with bright black fruits. There is a sweeter feel to the mid palate black cherry and plum with freshness at the back giving a lighter feel to the finish. 2025-38

87/90
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

Almost certainly the only top Bordeaux that’s made by an Argentinean oenologist, Marcelo Pelleriti, this is wonderfully scented, complex Pomerol that shows leafy, violet aromas, mocha oak, fine tannins and the freshness that’s so typical of the vintage. 2024-32

95
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The 2016 Le Gay is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc cropped at 27 hectoliters per hectare between 27 September and 14 October, matured in 100% new oak. The nose handles the new oak in stride with very pure, almost Côtes de Nuits-like red cherry and strawberry fruit, a patina of vanilla emanating from the wood. The palate is silky smooth on the entry with black cherry and blueberry fruit, a fine line of acidity, very polished in style with a gentle grip on the finish. Le Gay hit the high spots in the previous two vintages. I am not sure if in 2016 it quite reaches those levels, although it is still a sensual wine that should age with style over the next 15-20 years.
Drink Date 2021 - 2040

92/94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.