Very classy, with a crushed-stone and terra-cotta highlight to the blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character. It’s medium-bodied with a personality that grows on the finish and delivers intensity and length at the end. Very long. Very structured. We will see which is better, 2022 or 2023.

Vivid fruit aromas of strawberry jam, blackberry and plum. The palate shows rather smooth tannin, with plenty of wet stone minerality and tonicity, without any notion of hard or drying tannins. Indeed, this is textbook example of mainly Merlots finding their place in deep clay that kept things fresh during the heatwave. Excellent palate depth! Bordering on a 95-point score, which may happen after barrel ageing broadens the palate even more.

One of those benchmark estates that rise above the individual character of the year, imposing their own personality that remains true to itself. Good texture here, enjoyable depth and balance, peony floral character, cocoa bean and slate, with tannins that give sinew and tension to the palate. Good stuff, will age.

The 2023 Gazin has a typical bouquet for this Pomerol estate—always understated and one where you have to spend time coaxing aromas. Eventually it offers predominantly black fruit laced with black truffles and light earthy scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It veers more toward red fruit laced with white pepper on the cohesive and classically styled finish. This is maybe not a long-term Gazin but it has an air of sophistication.

The 2023 Gazin is deep layered and exceptionally well-balanced. All the elements are in the right place. Dark red/purplish fruit spice leather tobacco and dried herbs all meld together in a seamless super-expressive Pomerol that hints at a very bright future. This is a fine follow up to the 2022. Drink 2030-2043.

Revealing aromas of dark berries, cassis and cherries, the 2023 Gazin is medium to full-bodied, firm and compact, with a dense core of fruit framed by chewy tannins.

89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Red fruit with a chocolate note. Ripe and rounded on the palate. Tannins fine and integrated. Persistence on the finish. Some ageing potential. (JL)

89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Black! More acidity than one expects in a Pomerol – not the most luscious example. A bit dry on the sudden end. But then it is only a cask sample. (JR)