A profile of Châte Le Gay, a famed Pomerol tate, prented four parts. Here part one I look at the origs of the domae, and s history through to the time of the Rob sisters.
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CHâTE LE GAY
Châte Le Gay. Jt a few hundred metr away sat Châte Le Gay, the pale-yellow-gold of the stone gleamg the Autumn sunshe on what was a hot and humid day, so very typil of the 2013 harvt.
Châte Le Gay clearly has some illtr neighbours; while there are w of varyg qualy available om those nam listed above, some are the very crème la crème of the appellatn. Châte Le Gay is, would seem, a Pomerol domae worth knowg, and yet is a châte to which I me rather late. As is the se wh many Pomerol tat, the exact origs of Châte Le Gay, and particular who was rponsible for plantg the first v, is not known.
CHATE LE GAY
There is no doubt that the passn and ditn of Cathere Pere-Verge helped turn Chate Le Gay om an acceptable Borx tate to one of tremendo promise and potential.
CHâTE LE GAY
Cathere’s fluence turned thgs around, and om 2005 the qualy and style om this otherwise fantastic terroir have taken a great leap om near-miscule yields of jt 15-20 hectolr per hectare, Le Gay’s w – typilly a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Caber Franc – are ncentrated, eply flavoured and provi the rich, opulent texture one would expect om a solid Pomerol. Dpe s extensive history, Le Gay has taken s time g back to the nscns of the fe we dtry, but 's certaly been helped along by enuragg sr om the lik of Robert Parker and Jam Sucklg. Sce 2003 Le Gay’s vtag have performed creasgly well, wh the 2010 particular receivg an imprsive 99 pots om Parker.
As is often the se wh Pomerol tat, the exact origs of Chate Le Gay are unknown, although given the proximy of the tat Chate La Flr du Gay, Chate La Croix du Gay and Chate Vr Croix du Gay, seems likely that the name at least relat to a historil figure of some signifince the is known, however, that durg the 18th century the tate was owned by Louis-Leonard Fontemog – his fay beg important negociants and landowners that crop up repeatedly throughout St En and Pomerol profil.
CHâTE LE GAY
In 1872, a small plot of nearby v were add to the his portfol, but was kept separate om the Le Gay tate. This new veyard is today known as Chate Henri’s passg, the tate was sold 1915 to Andre Rob, who had married Henri’s granddghter Gabrielle Greloud, effectively keepg Chate Le Gay the same fay. Cric sr rose acrdgly, and Cathere branched out the bs, purchasg other tat and Cathere passed away April 2013, the res of the reborn Chate Le Gay were passed to her son Henri Parent, who is now rponsible for all of Cathere’s Pomerol empire, cludg Châte La Vlette, Châte Tristan and Châte Montviel Pomerol, as well as Châte La Gravière Lalan Pomerol.
Contact Châte le Gay. Châte Le Gay was the childhood home of historian and artist Léo DROUYN (1816-1896).
“Le Gay, I n never utter this word whout rememberg every moment of my childhood … ” he said. Châte Le Gay, today the headquarters of all the fay tat, pris a veyard that is well suated over a gravel outcrop particularly well sued for growg v.