CHÂTEAU GAZIN
2018 Pomerol
Velvety smooth entry. The tannins are well managed - tidy and polished. Quite viscous and fat. The dark fruit flavour is not overpowering at this stage, but there is a muscular feel. In the Gazin mould for sure, and impressive. Mineral elements linger. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040L&S (Apr 2019)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
"The 2018 Gazin is an attractive, understated Pomerol built more on persistence than on volume. Cedar, iron, dried flowers, spice, new leather and scorched earth accents add quite a bit of character. Bright saline notes punctuate the vibrant, salivating finish. A few years in bottle should help the tannins soften. Readers need to be patient, as the 2018 is not an especially open wine, as many Pomerols are in this vintage, but rather a wine built for the cellar." Drinking range: 2024 - 2043 Rating: 92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
The 2018 Gazin has a lively, generous bouquet of vivacious wild strawberry, boysenberry and hints of tobacco. The aromatics are well delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, offering seductive black fruit mixed with black pepper, truffle and clove. There is so much finesse toward the finish that it is approachable now, yet it certainly has the substance to suggest long-term aging. Not to be underestimated, this is another wonderful Gazin. Drinking range: 2024 - 2050 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
Rich aromas of blueberries, ripe black cherries, chocolate and sandalwood. It’s full-bodied with firm, well integrated and rounded tannins. Solid depth of fruit here. Creamy and polished. Better after 2024. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
A rock star in the making, the 2018 Château Gazin is made from 93 %Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Rich, powerful, and medium to full-bodied, it has s serious feel in its structure and tannin as well as awesome notes of candied cherries, cassis, chocolate, and crushed rocks. With beautiful purity, it builds beautifully on the palate and has both richness and elegance. It’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for 20+ years. Rating: 94-96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
93% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc; 50% new oak. Barrel sample. Inky core, purple rim. Rich, dark and seductive on the nose. Toasty oak and ripe fruit. Thick, chalky tannins gum up your mouth and there's more alcohol than freshness. Challenging and not really integrated – acid seems to stick out on the end? (JH) Drinking range: 2026 - 2032 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Gazin (composed of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc) has quite an earthy/broody nose to begin, with subtle black soil, tar and chargrill notes giving way to a core of prunes, baked blueberries and sautéed herbs. Full, muscular and chewy in the mouth, it has loads of earthy layers and a dried herbs lift on the finish. Rating: 91-93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
This is very tight and polished with a compact and beautiful palate of blackberries, currants and black olives. Full-bodied yet structurally solid with a very long finish. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
This is a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. The yield was 35 hl/ha, and the alcohol is a modest 13.5%. It presents an array of dark and sweetly smoky fruit on the nose, with some very primary character, in particular spiced red cherries, with cinnamon and black pepper. The palate shows an appropriate level of confidence, with supple fruit, polished substance, ripe tannins and fresh acidity, although overall it has a rather juicy, peppery character wrapped up in the structure. Some nice grip in the end, and some charming savoury notes of olives, soot and black pepper. A perfumed style, rich in black cherry fruits in the finish, and with a very ripe structure, this should come together well. Tasted twice. The élevage will be in 50% new oak and 50% second-fill oak. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
Smooth and juicy, this is ripe in a blackberry flavor. The wine's rich fruits are shot through with the fresh acidity that marks so many Merlots from Pomerol in this vintage. The wine is sure to age well. Rating: 95 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)
This is a little less densely knitted than Gazin in some vintages, perhaps because there is no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, but it has clear blueberry fruits, with black chocolate and graphite edges. There’s plenty of personality and grip and the Gazin tannins flex their muscles at the close of play – it’s good, but for me the 2016 is a more classic example of the estate. 50% new oak was used. 3.67pH. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)
Château Gazin
It is said that Château Gazin occupies the site of an old Knights of St John hospital that tended to pilgrims on their journey to Santiago de Compostella - a legend that is reflected in the cross on the label and in the name of the second wine, l'Hospitalet de Gazin. During the 19th Century, Gazin was one of the most highly regarded estates in Pomerol. The Bailliencourt family came into the estate by marriage in the early years of the 20th Century but, sadly, their tenure has mostly been of a château in decline. However, the estate's inheritance by the dynamic Nicolas de Bailliencourt in the 1980's has completely turned Gazin around and, once again, it is one of the châteaux to watch. The machine harvesters, bought as recently as 1979, were disposed of, a new chais was built, the second wine was introduced to allow stricter selection for the grand vin, and the services of Pomerol guru Jean-Pierre Moueix were engaged. The wine is typically 90% Merlot and spends 18 months in barrique, of which 50% are new wood.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.