La Gaffelière 2022

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 La Gaffelière derives exclusively from the prime hillside vineyards below Ausone that made this estate so compelling in the early and mid-twentieth century, and the 2022 is the finest wine produced at this address in many a year, surpassing the 2019 and 2020 in quality. Wafting from the glass with incipiently complex aromas of wild berries, violets, lilac, licorice, vine smoke and raw cocoa, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a deep, multidimensional and beautifully vibrant core of fruit and polished tannins, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish.

The 2022 La Gaffelière continues this Saint-Émilion's strong run of form in recent years. The nose is extremely pure and shimmers with nascent excitement, beautifully defined with blackberry, raspberry and touches of cassis. If aromatics could "glide" then this would be a prime example. The palate is exquisite in terms of balance, just a little granular in texture. The 60% new oak is seamlessly integrated. There are hints of bay and tea leaf toward the silky-smooth finish, completing a potentially marvelous wine. 2030-2065

The 2022 La Gaffelière, one of the finest wines I’ve encountered at this address, is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Crafted primarily from the prime hillside vineyards beneath Ausone, this wine exudes violet, dark berries, licorice, cherries and smoke, with subtly integrated oak influences. It's medium to full-bodied, deep and powerful, with a multidimensional, fleshy core of fruit and youthful yet powdery tannins framed by a tense, energetic mid-palate, typical of the limestone soils. Concluding with a long, saline and complex finish that marries tension and charming to pleasing effect, it was matured for 19 months in 50% new barrels. 2030 - 2042

La Gaffeliere remains on the exotic end of the spectrum but it is very well made. Toasted coconut, succulent forest fruits and baked pastries come through on the alluring and intense nose. This follows on the palate, which is chock full of fleshy, roasted fruit and sweet vanilla. Despite this opulence there is an underlying energy that keeps everything in check. Chalky in tannins but sweet in profile, it is a hedonists' delight, and will provide pure drinking pleasure from a fairly young age, though the length suggests it will also be long lived.

This shows crushed stones, chalk, salt and blueberries. Violets. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s firm and crunchy with lovely and precise tannins that are long and focused. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. 10% whole-bunch fermentation. Drink after 2027 and beyond.

The 2022 La Gaffeliere is composed of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal gorgeous notions of juicy blackberries, redcurrant jelly, and wild blueberries, followed by suggestions of rose oil, cardamom, and fragrant soil. The medium to full-bodied palate has bags of energetic black and red berry layers, supported by beautifully plush tannins and great tension, finishing long and perfumed. What a beauty!

Such a delicious wine in 2022, with mouthwateringly sappy tannins, juicy and approachable while being muscular and stacked, and here the concentrated blackcurrant and loganberry fruit is studded through with oyster shell salinity. La Gaffelière is not the most high profile of the estates to have resigned from the St Emilion classification, but it's a real loss, because it is finding these type of wines that makes the ranking so worthwhile. Look out also for a 100% Cabernet Franc cuvee (not tasted, so I'll be looking out too) from this vintage to be released in a few years. Stéphane Derenoncourt consultant.

60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Reserved red- and dark-fruit aroma with a chalky freshness. Supple fruit but builds on the palate, the tannins firm but refined. Long and persistent. Structured for ageing. (JL) 14.5%
Drink 2030– 2048