Château La Gaffelière 2022

A rich and elegant Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé

The estate

Located at the southern entrance to the village of Saint-Émilion, Château La Gaffelière, Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, bears witness to its ancient origins. Mosaics discovered during excavations attest to the presence of vines on the estate as far back as Gallo-Roman times. Château La Gaffelière has been owned by the Malet Roquefort family for over three centuries, and is located in the "golden triangle" between the hills of Châteaux Pavie and Ausone. It epitomises the excellence of the great red wines of Saint-Émilion.

The vineyard

A benchmark among Saint-Émilion wines, Château La Gaffelière oversees a 22-hectare vineyard classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé. The vineyards are planted in 3 different areas. These include the famous asteriated limestone plateau, the clayey molasse outcrops of the Fronsadais region and the more siliceous foothills. Château La Gaffelière's vineyards have been awarded High Environmental Value certification, and are managed using integrated farming methods, giving priority to the gentlest methods of intervention.

The vintage

A mild winter advanced early budburst, followed by hot, dry weather, resulting in significant water stress, while limiting the risk of disease. Because most of the vines were planted on hillsides with clay soils, they were able to draw on their water reserves and withstand these extreme conditions. Warm but punctuated by two rainy spells, September was ideal for fine-tuning ripeness until the harvest from 7 to 26 September for the Merlot and 14 to 26 September for the Cabernet Franc.

Winemaking and ageing

Harvested by hand in small crates, the grapes are placed in cold storage for 12 hours. A meticulous optical sorting process ensures that only the best quality grapes are kept. They are then vinified on a plot-by-plot basis in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats filled by gravity. Alcoholic fermentation with pumping over and punching down. Malolactic fermentation in vats (75%) and barrels (25%). Vatting for 28 to 30 days. A whole bunch vat is made exclusively with Merlot. The wine is aged for 13 to 15 months in French oak barrels (60% of which are new).

Blend

Merlot (60%)
Cabernet Franc (40%).