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1st Grand Cru Classé B Saint-Emilion
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A very fine wine that reflects the very best produced on Rive droite de Bordeaux, here's Château La Gaffelière. Nestled between the Pavie and Ausone hills south of the village of Saint-Emilion, the first traces of this Domaine vineyard date back to Roman antiquity, as evidenced by remains discovered in 1969.
It takes its name from "Gaffets", a term used to describe lepers in the Middle Ages, when Saint-Emilion was home to a leper colony. At that time, most of them carried a stick, the "gaffe", which they used to beg and move around.
For over three centuries now, the estate has been governed by the de Malet-Roquefort family, who continue to develop the terroir with passion and energy, vintage after vintage.
The Château La Gaffelière was named Premier Grand Cru Classé as soon as the Saint-Emilion classification was created in 1955. Thanks to the high reputation of its wines, it will retain this distinction up to and including the 2021 vintage. At the beginning of 2022, Domaine will opt to withdraw from the classification, the next edition of which was due to be made official in September of the same year. Thus, from the 2022 vintage, the label of Château La Gaffelière will mention only the Saint-Emilion appellation Grand Cru.
The Château La Gaffelière has a 22-hectare vineyard with full southern exposure, spread over the three specific terroirs of... See more ...
The 2005 vintage brought together all the conditions necessary for the birth of great red wines for the entire Bordeaux vineyard. Dictated by an exceptional drought as well as strong heat in spring and summer, without excess, everything was in favor of an exceptional maturation process for the various grape varieties of the property.
Blend of the 2005 vintage: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The robe is a beautiful dark color, with bright ruby tinted reflections.
The nose is sparkling, with notes of jammy black fruits, blackcurrant and smoked bacon, followed by melted wood, leather and jammy fruits.
On the palate, it's just as seductive with flavors of stewed black berries and roast. The silky and melted tannins give it great complexity and freshness. It stretches in precision to a long and persistent finish. A Château La Gaffelière of a still bright youth.
Food and wine pairing:
Château La Gaffelière 2005 will go perfectly with leg of wild boar confit, roasted Corrèze veal nuts with Bresse butter, tagliata of beef over a wood fire, or a hare à la royale with black Périgord truffle.
For a pairing with cheese, choose uncooked pressed cheeses: Edam, Gouda, Saint-nectaire, morbier, Tomme de Savoie or Salers.
For dessert, the pairing will be exquisite with a praline entremets, a tiramisu-style layer cake or Guillaume Mabilleau's extra hazelnut tart.
Ageing potential and tasting:
Château La Gaffelière 2005 can be kept for another ten years in the cellar thanks to its excellent ageing potential. Its peak will be reached between 2030 and 2035.
But it lends itself wonderfully to tasting today if it is properly prepared. To do so, take care to place the bottle the night before in the serving room at a temperature between 15 and 18°C. Open and decant the bottle ideally 5 to 6 hours before tasting.
The bottles should be kept in the cellar, protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
