La Gaffelière has been one of St-Émilion's undisputed renaissance stars over the past decade, racking up more and more impressive numbers with each passing vintage. As Wine Advocate's William Kelley notes in his review of the double 98-point 2020 grand vin, "this estate, in many respects Saint-Émilion's sleeping giant, is awakening." Indeed, the past several vintages have seen the estate assert its place as one of the smartest collectible buys in Bordeaux, Right or Left Bank. Few wines garner such massive accolades while remaining so fairly priced.
Any modern vintage of La Gaffeliere represents a sterling addition to any cellar, but a vertical collection is a truly a Bordeaux lover's must-have, and today we have exactly that. Six stunning vintages of this Right Bank dynamo, including the near-perfect, 99-point 2018 and 2022, the latter of which was dubbed by Jeb Dunnuck "the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted and will most likely warrant a perfect rating in a decade." Of course savvy collectors won't skip the incredible bargain that is the 2017, a "truly impressive" hidden gems that's "one of the real highlights" of the vintage. You can't go wrong with any of these masterfully crafted clarets, and with razor-sharp pricing across the board, it's easy to stock up big.
A warm wine rich in tannins and with succulent berry fruits, this is both powerful and elegant. Its density doesn't detract from the fruitiness that shines out of the wine and balances with the structured aging potential. Drink the wine from 2025.
97 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (May 2019)
This is really decadent and rich with great aromas of earth, spice, frost flowers and fresh mushrooms that follow through to a full body, firm and chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very, very serious from here. A blend of 70 per cent merlot and 30 per cent cabernet franc. Try after 2025.
96 points, James Suckling (Feb 2019)
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 La Gaffeliere opens with compelling wild blueberries, freshly crushed plums and kirsch scents plus hints of garrigue, underbrush, rose hip tea and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant with a soft, velvety texture and seamless freshness carrying the multilayered fruit to a long finish.
95+ points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Nov 2018)
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