La Gaffeliere 2019

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé B

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
12	75cl Bottle	Case 12	£270 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2019 La Gaffelière is well-defined on the nose, though it does not have the complexity of the Petit Cheval and La Dominique tasted alongside. Yet with aeration, its mineralité does become more tangible. The palate is medium-bodied with a sappy entry, plenty of vibrant red fruit, orange rind and spice touches, just a little dustiness developing on the finish. Given the stellar showing in previous bottles, I shall not score based on this showing. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Score: - Neal Martin, Vinous.com 01 February 2023
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. Score: 96 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2060 01 February 2022
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. Score: 95 - 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2060 01 June 2020
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. Score: 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2059 01 February 2022
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. Score: 94 - 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020
The most gorgeous depth and complexity through the palate, with touches of mineral pulsing and salinity on the finish, a ton of brambled blackberry, raspberry puree, tobacco leaf, leather and raspberry leaf fruit. 60% new oak. Brilliant wine. Owned by the Malet-Roquefort family since 1715, with Stephane Derenoncourt consultant since 2004. I love this, and it has delivered on its En Primeur promise. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2044 26 January 2022
An estate with a gathering sense of excitement around it, and once again proves why with the 2019. Sleek and flavourful, with the insistent tug of limestone slowing things down and allowing the juice and the tension to really inform the palate. Creamy texture also, with blueberry and raspberry fruit played gently against tobacco and crushed stone minerality. Highly successful. Score: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028 - 2044 23 May 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! Score: 95 - 97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 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. Score: 91 - 93 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 11 June 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. Score: 95 - 96 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 03 June 2020

Tasting Notes

The 2019 La Gaffelière is well-defined on the nose, though it does not have the complexity of the Petit Cheval and La Dominique tasted alongside. Yet with aeration, its mineralité does become more tangible. The palate is medium-bodied with a sappy entry, plenty of vibrant red fruit, orange rind and spice touches, just a little dustiness developing on the finish. Given the stellar showing in previous bottles, I shall not score based on this showing. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Score: -

Neal Martin, Vinous.com 01 February 2023

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.

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2060 01 February 2022

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.

Score: 95 - 97

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2060 01 June 2020

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.

Score: 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2059 01 February 2022

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.

Score: 94 - 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020

The most gorgeous depth and complexity through the palate, with touches of mineral pulsing and salinity on the finish, a ton of brambled blackberry, raspberry puree, tobacco leaf, leather and raspberry leaf fruit. 60% new oak. Brilliant wine. Owned by the Malet-Roquefort family since 1715, with Stephane Derenoncourt consultant since 2004. I love this, and it has delivered on its En Primeur promise.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2044 26 January 2022

An estate with a gathering sense of excitement around it, and once again proves why with the 2019. Sleek and flavourful, with the insistent tug of limestone slowing things down and allowing the juice and the tension to really inform the palate. Creamy texture also, with blueberry and raspberry fruit played gently against tobacco and crushed stone minerality. Highly successful.

Score: 95

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028 - 2044 23 May 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!

Score: 95 - 97

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 18 June 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.

Score: 91 - 93

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 11 June 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.

Score: 95 - 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 03 June 2020

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