Chateau La Gaffeliere 2021

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (93)

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.

Winespectator (92)

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.

James Suckling (94)

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.

Jancis Robinson (16.50)

58% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc.
Mid-deep ruby. Slick red fruit, a touch of bramble and savoury spice on the nose. Plump on the palate, glossy in fruit yet balanced by notes of rosemary and thyme. The tannins are on the firm side, coating the fruit in a sandy texture. Yet the stuffing seems to match the fruit. Earthy. Should get there.