...exhibits beautiful notes of blackcurrants, licorice, camphor and forest floor. A burgeoning complexity as well as medium to full body and well-integrated wood are found in this pure beauty. 91 points, Wine Advocate (4/2014).
...a soft, sexy style with lots of Christmas fruitcake notes intermixed with cedarwood, spice box, blackcurrants and kirsch. Fleshy and fat with impressive purity, texture and length…’ 90/92 points, Wine Advocate (4/2012).
This is very refined and pretty for the vintage with plum, berry and light chocolate character. It's almost Burgundian in texture and weight. Shows the finesse of the Cabernet Franc in the blend. Very fine indeed.’ 92 points, jamessuckling.com (2/2014).
Racy and fine with a lovely pure fruit. The Cabernet Franc in this is really coming through. Minerally and fine. Pretty wine. 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. 90/91 points, jamessuckling.com (4/2012).
There is a nice mix of flavours on the nose with the sweetness of the black fruits balanced by fresher red. The mid palate seems quite light with raspberries and wild strawberries but the black fruits are there behind their richness filling out the finish. 90/93 points, Derek Smedley MW (4/2012).
A truly elegant offering this year. A little more understated than some vintages but lots of zesty fruit, with silky tannins and texture. Length on the finish. Drink 2018-2030. 17.5/20 points, James Lawther MW (4/2012).
Fresh and fragrant with notes of cedarwood and tobacco, lively acidity and fine tannins. A wine that is beautifully framed and understated, yet should age well… 93 points, timatkin.com (4/2012).
St.-Émilion is the star of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, north of the Dordogne River. The rich red wines produced in St.-Émilion, based on Merlot and Cabernet Franc, are less tannic and generally more fruit-driven in flavour than the Cabernet-based wines of Left Bank. Merlot thrives on the plateaus high above the Dordogne, where the soil is filled with sand and clay, a perfect medium for creating opulent, fruit-forward wines. With a typically savoury character, St.-Émilion wines are sometimes called the “Burgundies of Bordeaux.” These refined reds, with loads of finesse, are elegant companions to beef, chicken, pork and duck.
The wines of St.-Émilion were not included in the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux, which ranked wines of the Left Bank. In 1955, St.-Émilion published its own classification, based on soil analysis, wine quality and reputation of the properties. Unlike the 1855 classification, St.-Emilion’s system requires properties to continuously prove themselves. The list is revised regularly, most recently in 2012. There are two tiers within the classification, Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé. There are currently just 18 Premier Grand Cru properties and 64 Grand Cru Classé properties.
The St.-Émilion appellation is home to hundreds of individual producers, enhancing the variety of wines made there. Many of the properties remain small, family-run enterprises, unlike the large châteaux of the Left Bank. The area is also the base of France’s controversial micro-châteaux or garagiste wine movement; these innovative winemakers operate outside the traditional classification system, making very high quality (and very expensive) highly extracted wines.
Chateau Canon la Gaffelière
Chateau Canon la Gaffelière is a Grand Cru Classé Chateau in the St Emilion appellation of Bordeaux. Owned by Count Léo de Malet Roquefort, the estate is located in the centre of the St. Emilion appellation with 25 ha of vineyards that lie at the base of the Cotes on flat, sandy gravel soils overlying clay sub soils. The vineyards are planted to 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Meticulous work in the vineyard and winery has seen a notable resurgence in quality in recent years.
