Type: Red
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Grape Varietals: Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (30%)
Alcohol Percentage: 14.2%
Volume: 750ml
Wine Rating: 90/100 (Cellar Tracer Wine), 90 (Advocate), WS90 (Wine Spectator), JS93 (James Suckling)
Style: Bold and Structured
Maturation: Oaked Closure
Sweetness: Dry
Ownership: Malet-Roquefort family
Ageing: 12 months in one and two-year barrels. Three rackings
Food Pairing: Beef and Venison. The general rule with all red meat is the leaner the meat, the lighter the wine – this also applies to different cuts of beef or steak, although side dishes and sauces also have to be…
Vintage Quality: Excellent
Current Condition: Ready to drink, will keep. Overall, the 2016 vintage for Saint-Émilion was excellent and a wide range of brilliant wines was made from easy-drinking to sophisticated behemoths that will reward long-term cellaring, however, careful research is always advisable.
About the Winery:
Château La Gaffelière is a Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation of Saint-Émilion. It is ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B and is one of the oldest family-owned vineyards in the region. Like many of its neighbors, Château La Gaffelière's wine is Merlot-dominant, with a small proportion of Cabernet Franc.
The estate is located just south of Saint-Émilion town, with the château buildings at the foot of the so-called St-Emilion plateau (Premier Grand Cru Classé A Château Ausone lies at the top of the slope while Château Pavie – promoted to "A" status in 2012 – sits to the east). La Gaffelière's vineyards lie on the lower slope, facing broadly southeast.
In all, the property boasts 22 hectares (54 acres) of vineyard, of which, roughly 70% is planted to Merlot and 30% to Cabernet Franc.
In the winery, the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with malolactic fermentation taking place in the barrel. The wine is aged in French oak barrels (of which, on average, about half are new oak) for up to 20 months.