95-96pts James Suckling
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.
94pts Jane Anson
One of those benchmark estates that rise above the individual character of the year, imposing their own personality that remains true to itself. Good texture here, enjoyable depth and balance, peony floral character, cocoa bean and slate, with tannins that give sinew and tension to the palate. Good stuff, will age.
94pts Decanter
Vivid fruit aromas of strawberry jam, blackberry and plum. The palate shows rather smooth tannin, with plenty of wet stone minerality and tonicity, without any notion of hard or drying tannins. Indeed, this is textbook example of mainly Merlots finding their place in deep clay that kept things fresh during the heatwave. Excellent palate depth! Bordering on a 95-point score, which may happen after barrel ageing broadens the palate even more.
92-94pts The Wine Independent
A blend of 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Gazin has a deep garnet-purple color. It is a touch subdued to begin, needing a little patience to discover subtle notes of redcurrant jelly, fresh plums, and cedar, leading to hints of pencil lead and bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate has fine-grained tannins and bright acidity supporting the delicate red and black fruit flavors, finishing with a savory lift. I like this quiet intensity!
91-93pts Vinous
The 2023 Gazin is deep, layered and exceptionally well-balanced. All the elements are in the right place. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and dried herbs all meld together in a seamless, super-expressive Pomerol that hints at a very bright future. This is a fine follow up to the 2022. - Antonio Galloni
91-93pts Jeb Dunnuck
Red, blue, and black fruits, sappy green herbs, and some floral notes all emerge from the 2023 Château Gazin, a more medium-bodied Pomerol with an upfront, complex, lively profile. It's solid in the vintage, has ripe tannins, and bright yet integrated acidity. The blend is 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.
91-93pts Vinous
The 2023 Gazin has a typical bouquet for this Pomerol estate-always understated, and one where you have to spend time coaxing aromas. Eventually, it offers predominately black fruit laced with black truffle and light earthy scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It veers more toward red fruit laced with white pepper on the cohesive and classically styled finish. This is maybe not a long-term Gazin, but it has an air of sophistication. - Neal Martin
History
The Chateau Gazin vineyards cover 64.2 acres in a single lot, with 56.8 acres under vines, located on the renowned clay-gravel plateau of Pomerol. The estate can produce up to 100,000 bottles a year. A second AOC Pomerol wine "l’Hospitalet de Gazin", was created in 1986 in order to reserve the best of the harvest for Chateau Gazin.
The grapes are fermented in small cement vats. The wine is aged for 18 months in oak barrels (50% new) according to the Bordeaux tradition: malolactic fermentation in casks, rackings to separate the fine wine from the lees, fining with egg whites and, if necessary, light filtration.
