Château Gazin, Pomerol, 2012
Produced from 100% Merlot, Gazin was our wine of the Pomerol UGC. In fact this is an estate we have watched with some interest. Their 2010 was magnificent and although this doesn't possess the same level of concentration or complexity it is an outstanding Pomerol and will give years of drinking pleasure. Lovely perfume of fragrant plums, crushed rocks, tapenade and sap. The palate is awash with beautiful sweet dark fruit: cassis, griotte, sloes. There is tremendous energy and layers of fruit. There is a hint of the Sanguinello orange, bitter sweet character that we detected in some of Denis Durantou's wines which is so vital and fresh. The tannins are big and ripe, something the Gazin team does not shy away from, but they are ripe, refined, balanced and very long.
critic reviews
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Gazin offers mature notes of mince pie, coffee grounds, and tobacco over a core of stewed plums and incense. The full-bodied palate is firm and chewy, with just enough freshness to support the dense fruit through the long, decadent finish.
The 2012 Gazin is backward compared to its peers with introverted black fruit, black truffle and quite conspicuous cedar notes implying some Cabernet contribution. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy entry: white pepper infused red fruit, fine balance, modest depth with gentle grip. This is nicely proportioned and demonstrates assiduous winemaking. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Gazin has a complex, quite mercurial bouquet that seems quite confit in style at the moment. After five minutes it offers raspberry coulis, wild strawberry, marmalade and minerals. You could nose this all day! The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, beautifully balanced with a harmony all its own. It glides across the mouth, so much so that it almost belies the structure underneath. This is seriously gooda top-drawer Pomerol with long-term ambitions. It may warrant an even higher score in the future. This is one to watch. Tasted January 2016.