Château Le Gay, Pomerol,

The 2023 Le Gay takes time to coalesce on the nose. Surprisingly, there is a very slight vegetal touch, hints of bell pepper, perhaps via some Cabernet Franc in the blend? The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannins, quite fleshy with what feels like a candied finish, but there is jarring leafiness that mars the finish. I am a huge fan of Le Gay as my scores for the 2019 and 2020 testify. But having tasted this on three separate occasions, I'm wondering whether a parcel did not quite reach phenolic ripeness?