Château Gazin 2020

Château Gazin is a must-know producer for Pomerol fans.  Not only because the quality of the wine here is top notch, but also because it is a great value option compared to some of the more exorbitantly priced producers in this Right Bank commune.  For oenophiles who understand and choose wine based on the promise of terroir, Château Gazin has some phenomenal terroir indeed.  This estate is neighbors to the stars of this region, including the iconic Château Pétrus.  With its elegant, sensual and age worthy wines, Château Gazin is a hidden gem of a producer and an essential for any Merlot lover.

Legend has it Château Gazin had a connection with the Knights of Templars, inspiring the unique design of its logo.  The property was many things before it was a vineyard including a hospital.  Château Gazin’s inception as a vineyard dates to 1772, when vines were purchased and planted by Antoine Feuilhade.  The estate changed hands many times before it was bought by the descendants of the current owners in 1917.  Eventually, the Bailliencourt family purchased it in 1946, along with another estate in the neighboring commune of Saint Émilion -- Château La Domenique.  Château Gazin eventually lost 5.5 hectares of vines to its neighbor, Château Pétrus.  To save money, the estate switched over to machine harvesting which caused the quality of the wine to further decline.  When Nicolas Bailliencourt took over managing the property in 1984, he made a series of changes including eliminating machine harvesting and hiring Thomas Duclos as a consultant in 2013.  The trajectory of this estate continues to improve, and critics are taking notice. 

The vineyards at Château Gazin are planted in one single block which is highly unusual for Pomerol.  It is one of the larger estates in the region, coming in at 26.5 hectares. The estate is planted with vines that are approximately 30 years old on average.  Here, the vineyard hosts a mixture of vines that consist of 90 percent Merlot, followed by an additional 7 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 3 percent Cabernet Franc.  Château Gazin is said to have the same blue clay that can be found at Château Pétrus. Château Gazin has some of the highest elevations in Pomerol, with peak elevations coming in at 40.5 meters.  They use traditional practices in the vineyard and try to focus on sustainability as much as possible. Some sustainable pest control techniques implemented at Château Gazin include mating confusion.  The oldest vines at this property were planted in 1942. The vines are all harvested by hand and sorted twice for the choicest berries prior to vinification.  The wine is fermented in cement vats before being aged in New Oak barrels.  Château Gazin leases these barrels, which is an unusual occurrence for Pomerol.

The wine of Château Gazin is considered elegant, with aromas of tobacco and vanilla.  It is often better with a little bit of bottle aging – usually 8 to 12 years – and younger vintages do require just a bit of decanting. 

"Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Gazin rolls effortlessly out of the glass with upfront scents of baked black plums, stewed black cherries and mulberries, plus hints of spice cake, chocolate box and cracked black pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing savory." Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (05/20/2021), Rating: 92-94 Drink: 2024-2042

"A quintessential Pomerol with its beautiful red and blue fruits as well as floral, earth, and sappy herb aromas and flavors, the 2020 Château Gazin is medium to full-bodied and has wonderful purity, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges. It shines for its purity and elegance and is just a classy, thrilling wine." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020 En Primeur Part 1 (05/23/2021) Rating: 94-96 

"I love this, extremely classic Gazin, which has depth and pep, and a jaunty feel to the black fruits. The freshness keeps the core of this wine firm from beginning to end, as do the chewy tannins. This is not an exuberant vintage but at this particular estate it suits the personality because it is always fairly old school and classic. For the first time no Cabernet Franc in the blend, just Cabernet Sauvignon. A yield of 35hl/ha. No added sulphur during fermentation. Tasted twice, there are plenty of tannins here but it is highly successful." Jane Anson, Decanter, Primeur Week 2021 (04/30/2021) Rating: 94 Drink: 2029-2043

"The 2020 Gazin, which contains no Cabernet Franc this year, has a wonderful bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone and pressed iris petal scents, very focused and precise, that really whisks you down to Pomerol. The medium-bodied palate displays fine-grained tannins and a silver bead of acidity. Very sapid with a little more dryness on the finish than its peers, which gets the saliva flowing. Classic Pomerol through and through." Neal Martin, Vinous (May 2021) Rating: 94