La Gaffeliere 2020

The 2020 La Gaffelière is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, the 2020 is an infant, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This vivid, statuesque Saint-Émilion is nothing short of thrilling.

Score: 98

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2030-2060 23 February 2023

The 2020 La Gaffelière is simply magnificent. Soaring, regal aromatics are immediately alluring. Deep and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2020 is vibrant and packed to the core. In 2020, the tannins are especially fine and silky for a Saint-Émilion that often shows a bit more tension in its youth. Bright red cherry, blood orange, mocha, spice, dried herbs and leather envelop the palate effortlessly. I imagine the 2020 will provide readers with many decades of exceptional drinking. It is another superb effort from a property that continues to impress.

Score: 96 - 98

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2032-2050 01 June 2021

An run of successful vintages at La Gaffeliere, and this again proves why it is an estate to watch, striking an expert balance between power and finesse. Offers a ton of cassis, blackberry, black cherry and damson fruits, licorice root and crushed stone, just gorgeously juicy and stretches out across the palate. Austere tannins at this point, plenty of limestone character, a little tight on the finish but with a velvet texture and promises to age with grace. A yield of 42hl/ha.

Score: 95

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028 - 2044 18 May 2021

The 2020 La Gaffelière was a knockout out of barrel and so expectations were high broaching the wine in bottle. It delivers a sumptuous yet beautifully-defined bouquet with pure black cherry and red plum aromas, an underlying mineralité that keeps it on its toes. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite saline, perhaps still a little closed post-bottling but with plenty of tension running from start to finish. It's a Saint-Émilion that says bugger off and come back (a lot) later.

Score: 96

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 December 2022

The 2020 La Gaffelière has an intriguing, complex nose, a mélange of red and black fruit, cigar box, undergrowth and mint, quite mercurial in the glass as it opens with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, a beautiful seam of acidity and perhaps the most satin-like texture I have encountered on a young La Gaffelière. It sashays to a harmonious and precise finish and lingers with wonderful mineralité. This is a magnificent prospect.

Score: 96 - 98

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 May 2021

Full bottle 1,365 g. Cask sample taken 6 April. 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are kept for 12 hours in a cold room at 7 °C before passing through the optical sorter. Vinification by parcel in stainless-steel temperature-controlled tanks, filled by gravity without SO2. Alcoholic fermentation with both pumping over and punching down. Malolactic conversion in tanks (75%) and barrels (25%). Dark, deep crimson. Very interesting and distinctive on the nose – fresher than most. Luscious and sweet on the palate with a little hint of oak. I have to say that I much prefer the nose to the palate at this juncture. But my score is for that impressive aroma and the nudging but (just) not-too-insistent tannins.

Score: 16+

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com 08 May 2021