Château La Gaffelière - Saint-Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Ideally situated on the slope that extends from Ausone to Belair-Monange, La Gaffelière has undergone a gentle revolution over the last decade: half of the 22 hectares have been planted under the leadership of Alexandre Malet-Roquefort (whose family has been in Saint-Émilion since the 15th century), with a more balanced grape variety. Merlot was uprooted and Cabernet Franc replanted, moving from the sands to the hillsides. The percentage of Cabernet Franc rose to 40% of the final blend. The result is more complex, floral wines that respect fruit and freshness.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Named after a medieval hospital for lepers ("gaffet"), this cru lies at the southern entrance to Saint-Émilion, between the hills of Ausone and Pavie. Here, we don't count in years, but in centuries: the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa, said to have belonged to the poet Ausone, have been found. The Malet Roquefort family (today Count Léo de Malet Roquefort) has been established here since the 17th century. On a 22-hectare single vineyard of clay-limestone soil, planted with Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc, a 1ergrand cru classé B has been produced since 2013 in completely refurbished technical buildings.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The wine's aristocratic beauty is based on prominent muscle, taut texture and perfect proportions. The wine is precise, intense and tonic. Gathered on itself in a finish that's more smiling than the austerity of the beginning.

About the domain :

In parallel with a profound restructuring of the vineyard, under the leadership of the Derenoncourt team (uprooting and replanting 5 hectares of Cabernet Franc on the magnificent limestone slopes to the south of the village), Alexandre de Malet, now at the helm, has invested heavily in the technical overhaul of the vat room. After investments in plantations since 2000 and a renewal of the cultivation equipment, La Gaffelière's production facilities are now on a par with the elite of the premier grands crus classés. Eventually, 80% of the grand vin will come from vines on the hillside (under Belair), leaving the generous but less racy lower slopes to the second wine, Clos La Gaffelière. In the 70s and 80s, La Gaffelière didn't always produce a wine worthy of its rank. The low point is now well behind us and, in a welcome turn of events, the de Malet Roquefort family has just bought Château Puy-Blanquet, 20 hectares (19 in production) in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, on a clay-limestone hilltop overlooking the Dordogne, which it had sold to the Jacquet family in the 1960s for inheritance reasons. Defending a classic but expressive style, without excess, built on the finesse of the second half of the palate, this first wine in an exceptional topographical situation has not ceased to surprise, all the more so as it still commands understandable prices. This is the heart of Saint-Émilion's most sensual and singular wines!

Jancis Robinson

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

La Gaffelière 2020 is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Notes of black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol emerge from the glass. Deep, supple and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, it's still juvenile, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This lively, majestic Saint-Emilion is simply exhilarating. 2028-2060

James Suckling

About the wine:

Deep, intense notes of plum and blackberry, enhanced by dark chocolate, roasted spices, walnut, crushed graphite and wet stones. Full-bodied, with ripe, velvety tannins that flow in a single, firm layer throughout the palate. Very structured. Delicious chocolate-covered black and blue fruits, with a spicy character and a very long finish. 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

La Gaffelière is one of the vintage's great successes, expressing from its very first nose a beautiful burst of black fruit, haloed by heady floral notes. The creamy mouthfeel, underpinned by a fine limestone foundation and fine tannins, confirms the growing precision of this Premier Grand Cru Classé. Heady finish of brandied fruit.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

What energy and detail in Gaffelière 2020! The wine stands out for its vigor, but also its finesse and its ability to completely positivize the constraints of the vintage. Juicy in character, it has a lively, incisive acid structure, while its perfectly integrated tannins offer power. This Gaffelière seems to me to be very accomplished, high-performing and capable of lasting for decades to come. The turnaround begun in 2017 had been decisive, with the level of La Gaffelière surpassing the glory of yesteryear, highlighting its membership of Saint-Emilion's elite. I'm just saying! A great success story to follow. 2026-2055