France · Bordeaux

Chateau La Croix de Gay

Château La Croix de Gay is a Pomerol estate covering approximately 12 hectares on the northern plateau of the appellation, close to Certan de May and Vieux Château Certan — positioning that places it on some of Pomerol's more distinguished iron-rich clay-gravel soils. The Raynaud family has owned the estate for generations, farming predominantly Merlot (85%) with Cabernet Franc on clay-dominant soils that typify northern Pomerol. The property also includes a tiny parcel called La Fleur de Gay, a micro-production barrel-selected prestige cuvée from the estate's oldest vines, which receives separate bottling and commands significantly higher auction prices. At auction, La Croix de Gay averages $133 per bottle across 164 lots — elevated for a minor Pomerol without official classification, reflecting the appellation premium and the estate's northern plateau positioning. The price range presumably extends from $30–50 for regular bottlings to much higher for La Fleur de Gay in top vintages. Pomerol as an appellation has no formal classification, meaning estates like La Croix de Gay rely entirely on reputation and terroir proximity to establish value. The 1989, 1990, and 2005 vintages are the notable auction benchmarks. With 12 hectares, production is limited to perhaps 40,000 bottles annually, maintaining genuine scarcity. The northern Pomerol location, family continuity, and the La Fleur de Gay prestige cuvée give the estate multiple tiers for auction participation.