The brilliant Chateau Le Gay was the most significant project of the late, great ‘Lady of Pomerol’ Catherine Pere-Verge. Catherine was a fiercely competitive businesswoman and her wine business, which became her all-consuming passion, was no different. To quote Neal Martin “she is unequivocally dedicated to her properties and patently has an unrequited desire to produce great Pomerol wine.” Chateau Le Gay was previously owned by the Robin sisters (who also owned Lafleur) before the eldest sister passed in 2001 with no direct heir; it was then purchased in a move that sent shock waves through Bordeaux by Catherine Pere-Verge, the daughter of a French industrialist, who had already begun her winemaking journey with Chateau Montviel. Catherine’s famously high standards and drive to create the best possible wines helped to shape the modern Le Gay, which has been run by her son Henri Parent since her death in 2013. With huge vineyard renovation and replanting, parcel-by-parcel vinification and the genius palate of Michel Rolland consulting on the blend, Le Gay has never been in better shape.
