TN 1994 Ch. La Croix de Gay, Pomerol

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

I got this a couple of years ago from JJ Buckley. It was part of some odd offerings including 1983 and 1994 Ch. La Grave Trigant de Boisset, 1994 Ch. Lafleur Gazin and 1986 Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste, all in the $25 to $39 range. So I took a flier on a mixed case+ of them.

These LCdGs have nice fills. But, there was seepage under the capsule and it sure smelled like port or madera. And then the cork was soft and cleaved lengthwise down the middle in the extraction, which I have never had happen before. But it came out clean and the wine inside the bottle was just fine. The bouquet was what you'd expect of a mature claret, cedar, with hints of mint and cinnamon. The wine was also fine on the palate, and for once I find "burgundian" to be an apt description of a Bordeaux, as I immediately flashed back to a 199x Rossignol Volnay Ronceret I had a few times. Anyway, this was at most a middleweight, lighter bodied wine, nicely balanced with some tannins in the canopy. On the Beaufort scale this was more of a zephyr than a gale and I could see more accomplished tasters dinging this for the tapering finish and lack of oomph but overall this was vital and very enjoyable, more so than the 2005 LCdG I had recently, for all its strength, power and dark roast coffee impression.

[AKR]

1994 was actually an ok vintage in Pomerol. I don't think I've had this one though.