Master Gazin

Château
Master
Gazin
Class
It was a pleasure to welcome Nicolas de
Baillencourt, co-owner of this famous, blue-chip,
unofficial, Grand Cru Classé of Pomerol which
exudes discreet and aristocratic reliability.
(January 2010)
From the top end, we can evoke Pomerol’s
equivalent
« Super
Seconds »
such
as
La
Conseillante, Vieux Ch. Certan, Evangile, Eglise
Clinet …. to which we could add some of the
prestigious, but hard to find, wines from the Mouiex
stable. Just below, and also at more budget friendly
levels, one finds just a small handful of serious and
reliable estates such as Château Gazin, along with
Clinet, Petit Village, Nenin …
Château Gazin, owned by the
same family since 1917, was
distributed exclusively by J.P.
Mouiex up to the 1999 vintage.
Since being on the open market,
Gazin quickly found a much wider
distribution base and we can now
confidently say that the estate
has established strong brand
recognition across all continents.
Here, of course, the Merlot is
king ! and even more so when
planted on the fabled clay soils
on the plateau, which is the case
for Gazin as it is confidently nestled between, excuse the name dropping, Petrus and
Evangile.
On average, the wines at Gazin are a blend of 85% Merlot and all vintages tasted
were between 80 to 90% Merlot (the highest being the 2006 which didn’t seem to
have that additional soft, caressing, Merlot touch).
The great wines of Pomerol will generally have
notes of leather, animal tones, underwood,
chocolate, mint, violets and even truffles !!
2007 CH. GAZIN :
Charming fruity nose, medium density and
particularly well balanced with a proper dosage of
new oak flavors.
A wine with a seductive
threading and a savoury finish. Actually this 2007,
along with the ’04 and ’99, were our favorites for
immediate consumption !
2006 CH. GAZIN :
Here’s a firmer styled Gazin (is it the influence of the arrival of Mr. Obert, new winemaker coming from neighboring Clos l’Eglise … ? or just the climatic conditions ?. I’d
put it more on the vintage’s climatic conditions). A beefy styled, muscular wine for
those who like to figuratively fight with their nectar. Lovely floral notes.
2005 CH. GAZIN :
God blessed this vintage ! Exotic yet civilized tabacco, spice and toasty aromas.
Onctuous and full bodied. Exceptional length, exceptional wine. Hold another 10
years minimum.
2004 CH. GAZIN :
A return to more restrained and classically fresh styled wine.
Immediately
harmonious, silky and seductive. As with the 2007, this 2004 is a killer for drinking
when young ! This was the overwhelming group favorite.
Nicolas explaining some of Pomerol’s secrets…
… and the staff attentively listening
2003 CH. GAZIN :
The 2003 heat was particularly stressful for Pomerol. That seething August sun
shines through here giving the wine a very leathery feel and a shade linear (onedimensional). Our recommendation who be to drink up as it may probably not
improve with age.
2001 CH. GAZIN :
Astute buyers should know that 2001 Pomerol’s are considered better than the more
heralded, and now much more expensive, 2000’s !!!
Gazin 2001 has that
characteristic meaty feel, with notes of under-wood. It is fresh, lively and gracious
with lovely silk fruit flavors. Excellent overall structure.
1999 CH. GAZIN :
Very pronounced aromas of tar, balsamic, mineral and chocolate. Finesse. Suave and
ethereal styled wine.
1995 CH. GAZIN :
Notes of toffee and liquorice, an evolved wine, tender yet maybe too simple. Drink
up !
In sum, all the wines had a clear « house » signature with aromas varying
between under-wood, gamey/animal, toasted bread, tobacco, mineral,
chocolate … and a structure clearly on the register of elegance, finesse,
freshness and balance ! It’s true that the 2004 seemed to be the day’s overall
favorite !
Technical notes :
24 hectares (planted)
Merlot 90%
Cabernet Franc 3%
Cabernet Sauvignon 7%
Laurent Ehrmann
Managing Director