Gaffelière - Saint-Emilion 2019

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe11/15/2022

This rolls out dense fig, boysenberry and red currant paste flavors laced with pronounced chalky minerality and notes of tobacco, dried anise and juniper. The serious tannic drive on the finish puts this in the 'classically austere' camp. Worth cellaring for sure, but patience is required. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2040. 7,500 cases made, 500 cases imported. 

Alexandre Ma

97

byAlexandre Mathe5/11/2022

I was deeply enchanted by the ethereal and crystal clear fruit aroma, especially the tender fragrance of violet flowers, which covered the whole glass with purple tulle. Delicious and flexible on the palate, it exudes scents of fresh pomegranates, toothsome blueberries and toasted aroma. The fluent acidity, like the moonlight at night, illuminated the body of the wine as a spring. Putting down the glass, closing my eyes, and for a moment, I thought I was about to hear the moonlight of Debussy. ??????????????????????,???????????????,?????????????????????,?????????????????????????????,???????,?????????,????,????,?????????????????

Jamessuckling.com

96

byJames Sucklingthe5/2/2022

A vibrant, fragrant red with aromas of blackberries, currants, walnuts and mint chocolate. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Pretty walnut notes on the polished finish. Fantastic length. Driven acidity and focus. Try in 2025.

Wine Advocate

95

byWilliam Kelleythe4/7/2022

The 2019 La Gaffelière wafts from the glass with a rich bouquet of blackberries and cherries mingled with subtle hints of burning embers and loamy soil that's framed by a deft application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's a concentrated, vibrant wine built around bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Its vivid fruit tones and classical balance make this Cabernet Franc-rich blend a promising candidate for sustained bottle age. Anyone who has tasted the great wines this estate produced in the 1950s and 1960s knows how great this site can be; and with stricter selection as well as the elimination of fruit from vines growing on the plain from the blend, that potential appears to be being unleashed at last.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2022

The 2019 La Gaffelière is just as impressive as it was en primeur. Bright and tightly wound, La Gaffelière sizzles with energy. Dark red fruit, mocha, blood orange, mint and dried flowers lend striking aromatic presence. There is some youthful austerity here, but nothing time in bottle won't take care of. The 2019 doesn't quite match the stratospheric grandeur of the magical 2018, but it comes close.

Vinous

96

byNeal Martinthe2/17/2022

The 2019 La Gaffelière has a wonderful bouquet of mineral-rich black and red fruit and sous-bois, a little tobacco and pencil box emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and ripe. Perfectly balanced, leading to an almost Left Bank, graphite-tinged finish courtesy of the 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 continues the purple patch of this Saint-Émilion stalwart. No doubt a wine that will give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure.

Wine Advocate

95-97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe7/15/2020

Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 La Gaffeliere reveals a tantalizingly bright, fresh nose of ripe black plums, crushed blackberries and warm black cherries with touches of lavender, star anise, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. The vibrant black fruits completely fill the medium to full-bodied palate with loads of crunchy, energetic flavors, framed by wonderfully plush tannins and a lively line of freshness, finishing with a mineral twist. Irresistibly scrumptious!

WeinWisser

17

byTjark Witzgallthe7/7/2020

Bettane & Desseauve

96-97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe7/3/2020

18-18,5

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe6/18/2020

The 2019 La Gaffelière is deep, vivid and beautifully layered in the glass. Dark fruit, espresso, mint, lavender and mocha build as the 2019 opens up in the glass. Deep and fleshy, yet also light on its feet, it has a sense of translucence that carries through all the way to the finish. This is a stunning, riveting wine in every way. The Grand Vin is sourced from the core holdings comprised of about eleven hectares of vineyard. Tasted two times.

Jeb DUNNUCK

91-93

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/18/2020

The flagship 2019 Château La Gaffeliere is mostly Merlot, yet the cuvée always includes around 15% Cabernet Franc. It offers a complex array of spiced red and black fruits, cedary herbs, lead pencil, and a kiss of tobacco to go with a medium-bodied, elegant, impressively balanced style on the palate. It shows the more classic style of the vintage, has no hard edges, and is going to be relatively accessible in its youth yet also age gracefully.

Vinous

95-97

byNeal Martinthe6/16/2020

The 2019 La Gaffelière is a distinctive Saint-Émilion, which should be inferred positively. There is something atypically very tertiary about the nose, beautifully defined and focused with plenty of fruit, yet very complex and cerebral. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and wonderful harmony. The silky texture belies the structure underneath and the finish is extraordinarily long. Ancient vintages of La Gaffelière like the 1961 are legendary. This ranks alongside them - the best I have ever tasted. Magnificent.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96

byJames Sucklingthe6/11/2020

A polished red with well-integrated tannins that are soft and persistent. Very tailored. It’s medium-bodied with rich fruit and a flavorful finish. Very fine and polished at the finish. Chewy at the end. Very tight.