Chateau la Gaffeliere 2022

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: „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!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Rich, lush, deep and concentrated, the wine is fresh rich and vibrant with layers of sweet, ripe, vibrant, plums, cherries, flowers and crushed stones from start to finish. Drink from 2023-2050."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is serious. Bold and structured with beautiful fruit, which is crunchy and vibrant. Full body. Lots of complexity and depth with a wide and velvety tannin structure. Excellent length. Lots of blue fruits. Touch of whole cluster."

DECANTER: "A little shy on the nose, straight and streamlined, so pure but with grip and attention-holding tannins, very softly grainy but also fresh and mineral giving licks of flint, graphite and mint. Calm and well controlled, nothing too out of place but clearly concentrated and intense with density. Focussed with drive and persistence, mouthwatering strawberry and cherry, with really chalky, crushed stone edges putting you on limestone in St-Emilion. The place speaks in the wine and it has good depth and drive. On the slightly more high toned, muscular, overt edge, needs to soften slightly, but this has detail and precision and exceptional juiciness which is so appealing. Punchy, forward, intense - a gorgeous wine in the making. 3.4pH. 3.55g/l total acidity. HVE3 certified. A yield of 40hl/ha. Ageing 13-15 months, 60% in new barrels."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart nach Nugat und Kokos, schwarze Beeren, frische Pflaumen, feines Edelholz, sehr einladendes Bukett. Saftig, elegant, feine Fruchtsüße, angenehmes Säurespiel, seidig und lange anhaftend, ein finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter mit sicherem Reifepotenzial."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2022 Château La Gaffelière showed beautifully, with a medium to full-bodied, forward, sexy style carrying ample ripe black cherries, spring flowers, camphor, and graphite aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Saint-Emilion with nicely integrated tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. This is clearly a gorgeous Saint-Emilion in the making and is well worth seeking out. The blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, and this is certainly in the same ballpark, if not better than, the 2018, 2019, and 2020."

WEINWISSER: "Verwobenes rotbeerig-würziges Bouquet, Johannisbeere, heller Tabak, Graphit, betörender Flieder- und Irisduft. Am eleganten geradlinigen Gaumen mit vibrierender Rasse, engmaschigem kakaoartigem Tanningerüst und perfekt trainiertem Körper. Im gebündelten, langanhaltenden Finale ein voller Korb mit roten Kirschen, Wachsnoten, Wacholder und feinsandiger Adstringenz. Ein Wein mit hohem Lagerpotenzial, der dieses Jahr auf jede Einkaufsliste gehört und noch zulegen kann. 2030 – 2050."

VINUM: "Superbe Aromatik von Beeren, Blumen und Kräutern; voller Ansatz, saftig- fruchtige Entwicklung, fest sitzendes Tannin von besonderem Schliff, grosse Länge auf Noten frischer roter Beeren; hervorragend gemacht, inspiriert."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "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. "