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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A chalky vibrancy at the heart of the palate that builds the wine and brings out lively fruit, beautifully integrated into the silky texture. A long, aromatic finish that lends great class to the aftertaste. Truly moving! And within five years, its structure could propel it into the top five of the first growths…

About the estate:

Ideally located on the hillside that extends from Ausone and leads to Belair-Monange, La Gaffelière has undergone a gentle revolution over the past decade: on half of its 22 hectares, under the guidance of Alexandre Malet-Roquefort (whose family has been in Saint-Émilion since the 15th century), the vineyard’s grape varieties have been optimally repositioned. Merlot vines are being uprooted and replaced with Cabernet Franc, which is being planted on the hillside rather than in the sandy soil. Its proportion in the blend has increased, now accounting for up to 40% of the final blend. The results are compelling, yielding wines that are more complex and floral, while preserving the fruit and freshness.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This vineyard, which takes its name from a medieval leper hospital (“gaffet”), is located just outside the southern entrance to Saint-Émilion, between Ausone Hill and Pavie Hill. Here, time is measured not in years but in centuries: the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa believed to have belonged to the poet Ausonius have been found on the site. The Malet Roquefort family (now Count Léo de Malet Roquefort) has been established here since the 17th century. On a single, contiguous 22-hectare vineyard with clay-limestone soil, planted with Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc, a Premier Grand Cru Classé B is produced; since 2013, it has been crafted in fully renovated winemaking facilities.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About the wine:

The 2019 vintage’s perfect sweetness, with its expansive yet balanced body, captivates us beyond its well-preserved fruit, which carries through to a beautiful finish. Fresh and with excellent structure, the wine remains a true classic, embodying the archetype of an aristocratic and distinguished Saint-Émilion, without any ostentatious flair.

About the estate:

Alongside a major restructuring of the vineyard—led by the Derenoncourt team (which involved uprooting and replanting 5 hectares of Cabernet Franc on the magnificent limestone slopes south of the village)—Alexandre de Malet, now at the helm, has invested heavily in the technical overhaul of the winemaking facility. Following investments in plantings since 2000 and an upgrade of cultivation equipment, La Gaffelière’s production facilities now rank among the elite of the First Growths. Eventually, 80% of the estate’s flagship wine will come from the hillside vineyards (under Belair), leaving the lower slopes—generous but less refined—to the second wine, Clos La Gaffelière. In the 1970s and 1980s, La Gaffelière did not always produce a wine worthy of its standing. The worst of that period is now well behind us, and, as fate would have it, the de Malet Roquefort family has just purchased Château Puy-Blanquet, 20 hectares (19 of which are in production) in Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, on a clay-limestone ridge overlooking the Dordogne, which they had sold to the Jacquet family in the 1960s for inheritance reasons. Embodying a classic yet expressive style, without excess, built on the finesse of the mid-palate, this first growth—with its exceptional topography—continues to surprise, especially since its prices remain reasonable. Here, we find ourselves at the heart of what is most sensual and unique in Saint-Émilion!

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

A vibrant, aromatic red with notes of blackberry, red currant, walnut, and mint chocolate. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Lovely walnut notes on the polished finish. Fantastic length. Good acidity and concentration. Best enjoyed in 2025.

Le Figaro vins

About the wine:

A world apart from its younger sibling, Clos La Gaffelière, this is a wine not to be underestimated. Round, opulent, and dense on the nose, the palate lifts you into a state of bliss, thanks to a silky texture—almost like cashmere—that’s intense and mouth-watering. 2029–2049

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

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

Jean-Marc Quarin

About the wine:

The remarkable rise in quality that began in 2017 and was confirmed in 2018 is evident in this outstanding 2019 vintage. The intense, fruity nose is still slightly closed. Bottled in June 2021, it requires ample aeration. 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’s superb.

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is beautifully developed, full of subtlety, and offers a certain depth (with finesse), lovely fruit, complexity, and a multi-layered character. It features notes of juicy Boysenberry, juicy wild strawberry, and, more subtly, crushed dark berries, combined with hints of blueberry, zan, wild berries / ripe berries, a subtle hint of graphite, limestone, and chocolate, along with delicate hints of cinnamon, toast, and an imperceptible hint of saffron (on the floral side) and vanilla. On the palate, it is fruity, perfectly balanced, and delightfully indulgent, offering lovely, juicy, vibrant, and tangy fruit, roundness, elegance, power, a certain integrity, and a masterfully controlled richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy, tangy raspberry; fresh, tangy strawberry; and, more subtly, juicy, pulpy blackberry, combined with hints of lily, blueberry, and tart plum, as well as hints of chocolate, toasted almond, cinnamon, and a subtle hint of caramelization on the finish and in the aftertaste. A delicate texture on the finish and aftertaste. A wine that is currently slightly reserved. (2026+)