Château La Gaffelière - Saint-Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé 2019

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Chalky vitality at the heart of the palate builds the wine and stretches out fruit full of vitality, well integrated with the silky texture. Great aromatic persistence gives the finish great class. Very exciting! And within five years, its constitution could take it into the top five of the best...

About the estate:

Ideally located on the coastline that extends from Ausone to Belair-Monange, La Gaffelière has undergone a gentle revolution over the last decade: under the leadership of Alexandre Malet-Roquefort (whose family has been in Saint-Émilion since the 15th century), half of the 22 hectares have been replanted with a better mix of grape varieties. Merlot vines have been pulled up and replaced with Cabernet Franc, which has been moved from the sandy soils to the hillside. Its percentage has increased to 40% of the final blend. The result is convincing, with more complex, floral wines that respect the fruit and freshness.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This vineyard, which takes its name from a medieval hospital for lepers ("gaffet"), is located at the southern entrance to Saint-Émilion, between the hills of Ausone and Pavie. Here, time is measured not in years but in centuries: the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa believed to have belonged to the poet Ausone have been found here. The Malet Roquefort family (now Count Léo de Malet Roquefort) has been established here since the 17th century. On a 22-hectare vineyard of clay-limestone soil planted with Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc, a Premier Grand Cru Classé B wine is produced, which has been made since 2013 in completely renovated technical buildings.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About wine:

The perfect sweetness of the 2019 vintage, with its expansive and balanced volume, seduces us beyond its preserved fruit with a beautiful finish. Fresh and perfectly structured, the wine remains classically classic, presenting the archetype of an aristocratic and distinguished Saint-Émilion, without any ostentatiousness.

About the estate:

Alongside a major restructuring of the vineyard under the leadership of the Derenoncourt team (uprooting and replanting 5 hectares of Cabernet Franc on the magnificent limestone hillsides south of the village), Alexandre de Malet, now at the helm, has invested heavily in the technical overhaul of the winery. Following investments in planting since 2000 and the renewal of cultivation equipment, La Gaffelière's production facilities are now on a par with those of the elite premier grands crus classés. Ultimately, 80% of the grand vin will come from the hillside vines (under Belair), leaving the lower slopes, which are generous but less distinguished, for the second wine, Clos La Gaffelière. In the 1970s and 1980s, La Gaffelière did not always produce a wine worthy of its rank. The worst is now well behind us and, in a fitting turn of events, the Malet Roquefort family has just bought Château Puy-Blanquet, 20 hectares (including 19 in production) in Saint-Etienne-de-Lisse, on a clay-limestone hilltop overlooking the Dordogne, which it had sold in the 1960s to the Jacquet family for inheritance reasons. Defending a classic but expressive style, without excess, built on the finesse of the second part of the palate, this premier cru with its exceptional topography continues to surprise, especially as its prices remain reasonable. Here we are at the heart of what is most sensual and unique in Saint-Émilion!

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About wine:

A vibrant, fragrant red with aromas of blackberry, redcurrant, walnut, and mint chocolate. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Lovely nutty notes on the polished finish. Fantastic length. Sustained acidity and concentration. Try in 2025.

Le Figaro vins

About wine:

Quite different from its little brother Clos La Gaffelière, this is a wine that should not be underestimated. Round, opulent, and dense on the nose, the palate lifts you up, thanks to a silky texture, close to cashmere, intense and mouthwatering. 2029–2049

Terre de Vins

About wine:

A muted, slender, appetizing nose of juicy plum with a subtle chalky note. The fruit is concentrated and full-bodied, precise, with a warm, enveloping profile. The tannins are very silky, and the minerality gives the wine a beautiful, elegant structure. The renaissance of Château La Gaffelière continues.

Jean-Marc Quarin

About wine:

The remarkable rise that began in 2017 and continued in 2018 is reflected in this great 2019 vintage. The intense, fruity nose is still a little closed. Bottled in June 2021, it needs to be aerated well. On the palate, the wine offers the delicacy of the vintage and great complexity in its texture and aromatic brilliance. It has a long, noble and very persistent finish. It is superb.

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is beautifully crafted, subtle and offering a certain depth (in finesse), lovely fruit, complexity and a multi-layered aspect. There are notes of pulpy boysenberry, pulpy wild strawberry and, more subtly, crushed black berries combined with hints of blueberry, zan, wild berries/ small ripe berries, with a subtle hint of graphite, limestone, chocolate, fine hints of cinnamon, toast, and an imperceptible hint of saffron (in its floral aspect) and vanilla. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and delicious, with lovely pulpy/bright/tart fruit, roundness, elegance, power, a certain straightforwardness and a certain controlled richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/tart raspberry, tart/fresh strawberry and, more subtly, juicy/pulpy blackberry, combined with hints of lily, blueberry, tart plum, as well as hints of chocolate, toasted almond, cinnamon and a discreet hint of caramelization on the finish/persistence. A fine texture on the finish/persistence. A wine that is currently slightly restrained. (2026+)