2017 Ch Canon La Gaffeliere, St-Émilion, Grand Cru Classé

With silky tannins, the wine feels like velvet. The black juicy plums, smoke, espresso, stone and salty mineral characteristics really shine through. There is concentration, complexity and length, offering purity of fruit and sensuous palate teasing textures. The wine was made from a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 13.5% alcohol.

This is really excellent for the vintage with wonderful density of fruit in terms of plum liqueur and creme de cassis. The palate’s plush but velvety with round tannins and a long finish. Should drink fabulously when young. So generous but silky and dialed-in.

94-95 pts - James Suckling

The 2017 La Gaffelière has quite a high toned, floral, crème de cassis and black cherry scented bouquet that feels well defined, although the oak sticks out at the moment and will require several years to be absorbed. The palate is medium-bodied with quite bold tannin, layers of blackberry and black cherry fruit laced with graphite and spices. It feels like a solid La Gaffelière but it needs to manifest more elegance on the finish. However, I appreciate the purity of this Saint-Émilion and its persistence. 

90-92 points - Neal Martin, vinous.com

The 2017 La Gaffelière is without question one of the wines of the vintage in Saint- Émilion. Bright, precise and wonderfully lifted, the 2017 is all precision. Exquisite aromatics and lively, red-toned fruit infuse this mid-weight, remarkably pure Saint-Émilion. Spice, blood orange and floral notes add the closing layers of nuance. The 2017 really dazzles. Don't miss it.

94-97 points - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com

Composed of 40% Cabernet Franc and 60% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Gaffeliere has pronounced cassis, baked plums and blackberry pie notes with suggestions of lavender, baking spices and rose hip tea. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of ripe, fine-grained tannins, an electric intensity of bright black and blue fruits and wonderful freshness, finishing long and minerally. La Gaffelière was significantly affected by frost, but a good portion of the vineyard is up on the hill by Château Ausone, and it is this unaffected section that was largely used to make the grand vin this year. I have to say; this superlative section has produced one of the very finest La Gaffelière’s I have tasted. Consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt confirmed that no second-generation fruit from the lower lying, frost affected plots was used for this wine.

95-97 points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate