Château La Gaffelière - Saint-Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé 2021
97/100
Terre de Vins
97/100
Yves Beck
96/100
Bettane & Desseauve
96/100
Vinous
96/100
Wine Enthusiast
"A great terroir that sets this wine apart, with breathtaking balance and exceptional texture. A must-have for your wine cellar!"
“The complexity evident in La Gaffelière’s bouquet sets the stage. This richness and depth are the result of a quest for perfection, seeking out the complexity that the terroir is capable of imparting—but it still must be tamed! I believe this has been achieved, especially after tasting the wine. Indeed, the grandeur hinted at by the bouquet is fully realized on the palate. The wine has density, tight tannins, and an acidic structure that perfectly carries the aromatic intensity all the way to the finish. It’s worth noting, for the record, that a great wine is characterized by its ability to perform well in more challenging vintages… Mission accomplished! A wine you simply must have in your cellar…” (Yves Beck 2023) - Delivery in a wooden case is available for orders of 6 bottles of this wine (depending on the country and selected shipping method)
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Eye
Deep, rich purple color
Nose
An elegant and complex bouquet of spicy fruit, flowers, cedar, mocha, and graphite
Palate
Full-bodied, lively, elegant, fresh, well-balanced, with a silky texture and remarkable length
Serve
At 17-18°C
Open
2 hours before
Drink starting at
2026
Drink before
2046+
Food and Wine Pairings
Pairs well with a Wagyu beef tenderloin, chicken breast with morel mushrooms, or a dark chocolate fondant...
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated (2022 guide) 96/100
4-Star Estate (Producers of the very highest quality, the pride of French viticulture)
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 better optimized. 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
Rated estate (2019 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer's wines regularly receive awards from the guide)
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 here. The Malet Roquefort family (now Count Léo de Malet Roquefort) has been established here since the 17th century. On a single, contiguous 22-hectare clay-limestone vineyard 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
Rated estate (2021 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Rated Estate (2023 Guide) 2*Stars (These exceptional estates, often blessed with fabulous terroirs, are must-haves that, thanks to the consistency and excellence of their wines, deserve a place in the cellars of discerning wine lovers)
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. Championing a classic yet expressive style, without excess, built on the finesse of the wine’s mid-palate, this premier cru—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!
Wine Enthusiast
Wine rated (2024 guide) 96/100
About the wine:
This wine has a magnificent texture, intense black fruit aromas, and rich tannins. Its refined aromas give it exceptional finesse and texture. Suitable for aging, it will be ready to enjoy starting in 2028.
Jancis Robinson
Rated "Recommended"
Vinous
Wine rated (2023 guide) 96/100
About the wine:
La Gaffelière’s 2021 Saint-Émilion is a wine of sublime elegance and understated finesse. Aromatic and supple, it reveals the delicacy of this vintage while retaining the estate’s signature style. Lavender, mocha, spices, dried herbs, and leather are among the many notes that enhance this exquisite Saint-Émilion. Its balance is simply breathtaking. It is a wine to lay down, as it will not be ready to drink anytime soon. Best enjoyed between 2031 and 2061.
James Suckling
Rated winery (2021 guide) Recommended
Terre de Vins
Wine rated (2022 guide) 97/100
About the wine:
The nose is deep, full-bodied, smoky, and vibrant, revealing the signature Cabernet Franc character and the meticulous work carried out here in recent years. The structure is slender, sap-filled, precise, and intensely licorice-like, set against a backdrop of rock with a subtle roughness—distinct, mineral, and defining. There’s no dip in the body as it unfolds: it’s a great terroir that makes all the difference. Château La Gaffelière 2021 once again confirms its progress in precision, energy, and juiciness.
Yves Beck
Wine rated (2023 guide) 97/100
About the wine:
The complexity evident in La Gaffelière’s bouquet sets the tone from the very start. This richness and depth are the result of a quest for perfection, seeking out the complexity that the terroir is capable of imparting—but it still must be tamed! I believe this has been achieved, especially after tasting the wine. Indeed, the grandeur hinted at by the bouquet is fully realized on the palate. The wine has density, tight tannins, and an acidic structure that perfectly carries the aromatic intensity all the way to the finish. It’s worth noting, for the record, that a great wine is characterized by its ability to perform well in more challenging vintages… Mission accomplished! A wine you must have in your cellar… 2026–2046