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Canon la Gaffelière 2008

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

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Label

Tasting Notes

A sensational sleeper of the vintage, this modern-styled St.-Emilion boasts a dark purple color along with a beautiful bouquet of black olives, cherry jam, incense, spicy oak and black currants. Full-bodied, unctuously textured, lush, seductive and gloriously perfumed, this strikingly intense claret can be drunk now and over the next 12-15 years. Bravo!

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011

Blackberry, black chocolate and licorice aromas follow through to a full body, with wonderful length and style. The 35 percent Cabernet Franc really comes through

89/92
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2009

Dark and dramatic-looking. Sweet, juicy fruit on the nose. Quite a fresh, aromatic attack. Comfortable and well balanced rather than exaggerated. Quite firm tannins on the finish. Great concentration but some fluidity too. Lovely frankness and freshness. Fresh, sinewy, good stuff!

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2009

One of the most consistently high quality offerings from both St.-Emilion and Bordeaux, proprietor Stefan von Neipperg, working with consultant Stephane Derenoncourt, always seems to deliver a beautifully opulent, complex claret that can be drunk young or cellared for 15+ years. I recently had the 1998 and 1990 and, although those two vintages are very different in style, both are classic Canon la Gaffelieres in their complexity, opulence, and richness. The 2008, a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits a big, sweet nose of roasted herbs, sweet black currants and cherries, licorice, incense, and Christmas fruitcake. Deep, concentrated fruit, full-bodied opulence, beautiful purity, sweet tannins, and fresh acids give this wine a stunning precision as well as amazing depth (because of the low yields). It should drink well for 15+ years.

91/93
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com, April 2009

This has a fine, vibrant nose with brambly black fruits, a hint of sous-bois and liquorices. Good definition but tightly coiled. The palate is nicely balanced, quite chewy tannins and very linear towards the grainy black cherry and boysenberry finish. Classy, but not what you might describe as an explosive wine. Tasted April 2009

90/92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2009
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.