The 2019 Vray Croix de Gay comes across as quite understated and soft. An effusive, floral bouquet and silky contours add to that impression. Crushed flowers, spice, sweet tobacco, cedar and dried flowers all grace this soft, open-knit Pomerol. The 2019 is a very good wine, and yet my impression is that a good bit of potential remains unrealized

The 2019 Vray Croix de Gay comes from a Pomerol estate I know well, though for some inexplicable reason I have not tasted recent vintages. That is obviously now rectified. It has a lovely bouquet, very pure and expressive with red cherries, wild strawberry, flecks of brown spices and loamy notes that emerge with aeration. The palate is cohesive and smooth, the fine tannins framing the red berry fruit laced with truffle and ferrous notes. It is quintessentially Pomerol and it should age well. It is nice to be reacquainted.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Vray Croix de Gay has a powerful perfume of red roses, candied violets and jasmine tea over a core of stewed plums, black cherry compote and kirsch with wafts of tobacco leaf and powdered cinnamon. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with fragrant red and black fruits, framed by fantastic freshness and plush tannins, finishing long and wonderfully floral.