Gazin

2014

Wine Advocate 94: The 2014 Gazin was stubborn and broody when tasted in bottle, but give it a few swirls and there comes forth gravel and black truffle scents alongside sultry black fruit. These aromatics are so engaging and involving, drawing you in towards it charms. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and taut with great precision and sappiness towards the focused, almost symmetrical, black truffle-laced finish. This continues Gazin's fine run of form, a great Pomerol from an estate predisposed these days to create sophisticated, classic wines.

James Suckling 95: The soy-sauce and savory aromas really make this stand out, but behind it are some very nice fruit and elegant tannins. This is a very well-made modern Pomerol with a lot of potential that needs some time to reveal its full class. Give it five or six years of bottle age.

2020

Wine Advocate 93+: A muscular, youthfully structured wine, the 2020 Gazin unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, vine smoke, spices and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's deep and powerful, with ample reserves of powdery tannin that will require a bit of patience in bottle.

James Suckling 96: Lovely texture to this Pomerol. Fine velvety tannins with plum, walnut and crushed stone character. Savory finish. Needs time to soften. Very classy and structured, yet so refined. 91.6% merlot and 8.4% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2025.

Vinous 95: The 2020 Gazin is a wine of total precision and class. Vibrant, with tremendous nuance, the 2020 is so impressive. Dark red cherry, iron, tobacco, white pepper and crushed flowers abound. The 2020 is a standout Gazin.

Decanter 94: Supple and juicy, but still quite tight in terms of texture. A little reserved perhaps, the coiled and muscular mid-palate stops some of the push from the fruit which is really well defined with a crystalline aspect to it. Real purity and freshness, tannins have an appealing grip with a salty, cola, liquorice, dark chocolate and coffee powder edge to them. Lots of nuance and complexity.

2021

James Suckling 94: Black berries and black plums on the nose with some tobacco leaf, graphite and bitter chocolate. It’s focused on the palate, with firm tannins that melt and relax into the black fruit. Medium-bodied and well-structured. Mineral at the end. Try from 2025.

Vinous 95: The 2021 Gazin is a dark, ample wine. Layers of dark fruit, leather, licorice, smoke, tobacco and spice unfurl in the glass. Broad and powerful, the 2021 is super-impressive in this tasting. If there is a name to watch in Pomerol, it is Gazin.

Decanter 92: This is lifted, bright and high toned. There's some energy here with tannins that are fine but have bite and tang and support the expression and coat the mouth in grippy saltiness. A good effort this year, not trying too hard. Mouthwatering but cool and crisp with a lovely weight and frame and flavours of blueberry, liquorice, flint and dried herbs.

2023

Wine Advocate 88-90: 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.

James Suckling 95-96: 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.