Young and full-bodied with a dense plum/garnet color, the 2003 Gazin offers up sweet aromas of cedarwood, red and black fruits, and mocha. A strong Pomerol for the vintage, it is still exuberant and fresh although the finish becomes increasingly dry as well as astringent. Drink it up.

For reasons that escape me, Gazin is never easy to evaluate young, and I often upgrade my opinion after the wine has had several years in the bottle. Performing much better from bottle than it did from cask, the 2003 Gazin is lavishly oaked, but also reveals plenty of black cherry and currant notes, sweet, surprisingly full-bodied, powerful flavors, and moderate tannin. For a 2003 Pomerol, it is an atypically big, back-strapping, muscular effort that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age. An undeniable success for the vintage, it should drink well for 14-15 years.