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La Gaffelière 2012

Tasting Notes

Very elegant kirsch liqueur-like notes mixed with licorice, spice and earth jump from the glass of this famous St.-Emilion, long-owned by the Malet Roquefort family. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc (14% alcohol), this has slightly more acidity and structure than some St.-Emilions. The limestone-dominated terroir comes through in the wine’s striking and very powerful minerality. It is medium-bodied, elegant, tightly knit and probably in need of 2-4 years of bottle age. It should drink well for the following 15 years.

91+
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com (218), April 2015

Polished and restrained, with alluring notes of cherry preserves and plum sauce that glide elegantly through the mineral- and black tea—infused finish. Offers a light cloak of toast on the finish, but the purity should help this stretch out in the cellar. This has filled out a bit since the barrel tasting. Best from 2017 through 2022. 4,583 cases made.

89
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com, March 2015

Blending 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.8% alcohol. On the palate, the mineral driven, oaky, blackberry filled wine is well made, but it lacks excitement.

89/91
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider, April 2013

Barrel sample. This is a very dense wine, balancing ripe fruits with dark tannins and solid structure. A powerful and ripe wine, it's still a bit firm and dense, but certainly has great aging potential.

91/93
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, April 2013
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.