La Gaffeliere 2021 (750ML)

96 AG / 95 DE / 94 JD / 94 VM / 94 JS / 94 JA / 93 WI / 93 WA / 16.5 JR

The 2021 La Gaffelière is a wine of sublime elegance and understated finesse. Aromatic and pliant, the 2021 shows the more delicate side of the year, yet all the Gaffelière signatures are present. Lavender, mocha, spice, dried herbs and leather are some of the many notes that grace this exquisite Saint-Émilion. The balance here is mind-blowing. Give this time, as it won't be ready to drink anytime soon. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This has a gorgeous herbal-fruity nose, scented, fresh and lively with raspberry leaf. Impactful on the palate straight away - the fine-grained tannins hit the mouth and expand slowly alongside the liquorice spice and dark berry fruit with violet aromas. It's direct and linear at the moment, taut, and driven in one line. You feel it's coiled up ready to spring with strawberry fruit and the Cabernet aspects coming through. It's delicately textured, the mouthfeel is light and bouncy while the flavours slowly expand vertically. Touches of sweetness, bitterness and minerality appear adding interest from start to finish. I love the clarity you get. Impactful and full of complexity. Will be lovely to taste this in bottle. 5% more Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon than usual as some Merlot was lost to frost and mildew. A production of 98% grand vin. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

A huge success in the vintage, the 2021 Château La Gaffelière checks in as an even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was raised in 50% new oak. Gorgeous cassis and black raspberry-like fruit as well as flowers, cedary herbs, and graphite all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a silky, layered, elegant mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and outstanding length. It's clearly up with the top handful of wines in the vintage and will have 15-20 years of overall longevity.-Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 La Gaffelière has quite a powerful bouquet with ample black cherry and raspberry fruit, violet and licorice—aromatics you would misconstrue as those from a warmer growing season. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy with ripe tannins and good depth. It has more fruit intensity than its peers, yet it manages to retain mineralité and composure toward the finish. This is an excellent Saint-Émilion from the top drawer. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Lovely reduction at first that gives an ashy feel to the red berries, crushed stones, subtle cream, hibiscus and some dark-colored fruit. The medium- to full-bodied palate unleashes plenty of fine-grained tannins. Fresh, bright and more vertically structured than many of its peers from this vintage, but it remains polished and textured. Lingering finish. Drink from 2024. - James Suckling

Showing well in bottle, with creamy raspberry, a lightness of touch coupled with good concentration and balance. Plenty of appellation limestone signature, this is good quality, one to look out for, delicate but with character and lift. Not tasted En Primeur, and enjoyable to get to know now. This is also a vintage with a footnote in history for Gaffelière, as it will be the last one bottled as a Premier Grand Cru Classé, after stepping down from the system in 2022. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2021 La Gaffelière is quite rich and generous by the standards of the vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with licorice, pencil shavings and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it has good depth at the core, lively acids and a sapid finish. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

Presents a pretty solid core of black cherry and cassis notes (for the vintage), while apple wood, sweet tobacco and black tea flavors fill in. The finish reveals a sanguine, chalky underpinning, which stays fresh and helps minimize the vintage's austere side. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035. 7,500 cases made, 500 cases imported. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator