The finest wine I have ever tasted from this estate, the 2009 exhibits a dense purple color, lots of caramelized black currant and cherry fruit, hints of espresso and earth, and a dense, plump, corpulent personality. It is ideal for drinking over the next 10-15 years. (Tasted once.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

One of the stars of Canon-Fronsac, this 30-acre vineyard is making some great wine, and the 2009 appears to be the finest they have yet produced. The Dutch owners brought in Stephane Derenoncourt as consultant, and the 2009 (98% Merlot and 2% Malbec) tips the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol. Full-bodied with an inky/blue/purple color it represents the essence of blackberries, black raspberries, cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, and subtle oak. The high alcohol and all evidence of oak aging are completely buried under the sheer concentration (in this case coming from low yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare). A big time sleeper of the vintage, it should age effortlessly for 25-30 years. (Tasted two times.)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes

A very strong performance by the superbly located estate which rarely lives up to its terroir, the dense purple-colored 2009 Vray Croix de Gay reveals notes of damp earth, forest floor, blackberry, and plum liqueur. Full-bodied and fragrant with superb fruit purity as well as a layered texture, it could turn out to be a true sleeper of the vintage and perhaps the finest wine they have ever made. Moreover, it should evolve for 15 or more years. (Tasted once.) 

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188)

  Wine notes