CHÂTEAU LA GAFFELIÈRE

Love the depth and the vibrant fruit character here, and the vivid reflections to the colour. Chalky, fresh, extremely vibrant, real mineral pumice stone textire, and a clear reminder of its limestone soils. Aged in barrels and large oak casks. Tasted twice. Now withdrawn from the St Emilion classification. Alexandre de Malet-Roquefort owner. Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)

The 2023 La Gaffelière is a dense, powerful wine. As has been the case since 2018, La Gaffelière has a strong Franc component—40% in 2023. Usually, the aromatics are quite lifted, but this wine is rather dense. Nothing in particular stands out, as all the elements are impeccably balanced. This will need time to be at its best, but it shows promise. The introduction of 500-liter barrels and a reduction of new oak closes the wine a bit, but there's a ton of raw energy here and a good bit of tannin, too. Drinking range: 2030 - 2048 Rating: 93-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

A rather perfumed style of fruit on the nose, with smoked loganberry, fragrant red plum, fine leather and toast. The palate is fresh and polished, sinewy but carrying a nice intensity of fruit, a blanket of red plum, peony, freesia and white peach. This is draped over a tightly delineated core of close-knit but very firm tannins, which are taut and defined. There is a firm and elegantly polished style to the texture, carrying through into the finish, where these tannins persist, showing a rich, toasted and lightly grained style. An attractive, rather pointed style of St Emilion from the recently declassified La Gaffelière, which certainly has potential. Tasted three times. Rating: 92-94 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)