Château Canon La Gaffelière 2018

This has a lovely core of mulled cassis, damson plum and raspberry reduction notes, framed with an applewood note that integrates nicely while red tea, savory and chalky mineral notes develop through the finish. Restrained style, precise and very long. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2038. 5,833 cases made.

This clearly has the edge over La Mondotte for me because it combines the polish and glamour of a St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé with the salt-taffy tang of limestone. Still a silky texture, but a more attractive slate edge comes in on the finish to temper the sweet fruit and slow things down. A highly impressive wine. The harvest ran from 19 September to 4 October, with a yield of 35hl/ha. 50% new oak. Certified organic.

Fantastic depth and richness on the nose with plums, mushrooms, bark and a touch of mahogany. Full-bodied, tight and focused with very fine tannins and a long, creamy finish. Lovely polish, balance and clarity. Drink after 2025.

The 2018 Canon-la-Gaffelière has an irresistible bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and touches of lavender that blossoms as soon as it opens, though it reaches its zenith only after 4–5 hours. The palate is medium-bodied with red and black fruit, a little grainier in texture than it showed from barrel, yet still spicy toward the finish. Black pepper, menthol and sage notes linger in the mouth. I think this might close up for a while, so cellar for 4–6 years.

Aromatically, the blend of truffle, flowers, mint, smoke, red pit fruits, licorice and spice keeps you busy. But the star of the show is all the mineral-driven, fresh, lively, silky, refined waves of roasted, ripe red fruits and spice. Long, complex, lifted and vibrant, the fruit lingers and expands on your palate from the mid-palate through to the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Deep ruby, violet hues, lighter ochre tinge at the rim. A fragrant scent of liquorice and hibiscus underlaid with a hint of black cherries, a slight touch of bourbon vanilla as well as soft hardwood nuances. Full-bodied, sweet plum nuances, freshly structured, fine, supported by firm, supportive tannins, mineral and persistent. Already easy to drink, with good ageing potential, saline aftertaste.

Another beautiful vintage for this cuvée, the 2018 Château Canon La Gaffelière is based on 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 50% new French oak, with the balance all in used barrels. It's never the biggest or richest wine in the vintage yet always has a classic Saint-Emilion elegance as well as brilliant minerality. The 2018 reveals a dense purple hue to go with an already complex bouquet of kirsch, blackberries, new saddle leather, bouquet garni, tobacco, and flowery incense. With medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish, it builds nicely with time in the glass and is a complex, flawlessly balanced Saint-Emilion that offers both hedonistic and intellectual pleasure. It's going to keep for 20-30 years, and I'd recommend a healthy decant or a good 4-6 years of bottle age.

Purple with ruby highlights. Densely woven, black-berried bouquet with cassis blossom and Brazilian tobacco. On the second nose, dark fine wood, sloe juice and wild raspberries. On the powerful palate with a creamy texture, tightly knit tannic framework, finely powdery extract sweetness and a well-trained body, reminiscent of a 400-meter runner. In the concentrated, ever-lengthening finish, a full load of sour cherries, dark terroir spice and regal astringency. Motto: “wait and drink tea” – a giant is in the making!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 hl/ha) Concentrated, complex, fresh, mineral bouquet: strawberry jelly, Damassine plums, currants, licorice, slate, flint, fine black pepper, a delicate hint of eucalyptus. Densely interwoven, elegant, multi-layered palate with dense, velvety, sweet fruit, plenty of fine tannin, a finely muscled, creamy structure, varied, concentrated, fresh aromatics, a very long, dense, finely opulent finish with lots of lingering flavors. Can improve further. (18/20). 19: Tasting note by René Gabriel: Very dark carmine red. Brilliant bouquet: black plums, black cherries, coffee and wholegrain bread. Majestic and profound with a complex approach. On the palate, demanding, showing great reserves, the latter in the form of a balanced astringency. The finish is persistent. One can predict a great future for this wine. It is at least as great as the 2009. And beyond its popular flair, it will display true classicism. My score was almost at the century mark. At maturity (from 2030 onward), it could very likely reach it. (19/20).

Concentrated, velvety, complex, creamy, fruity bouquet: blue and black berries, blueberry cream, licorice, currants, dark tobacco, mint, a delicate hint of eucalyptus. Concentrated, layered, elegant palate with dense, dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a tightly knit structure, varied, dense, dark aromatics, and a long, powerful, aromatic finish. Has room to improve further. 19/20 2025 - 2055

The 2018 Canon La Gaffeliere has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and cedar, with hints of pencil lead and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tightly wound and grainy, with just enough freshness and a long finish. It needs time!

The freshness of this great organically farmed terroir shapes a finely balanced 2018 vintage. The blend of dominant Merlot and a small proportion of Cabernets remains a classic, yet it brings distinction and refinement, with a nose suggesting spices, mocha, a blossoming orchard, dark fruits, and a hint of dried fruit. Supple, as the vintage would have it, with no rough edges, the wine offers creamy, precise, and dynamic tannins that bode well for its future.

A pure, open and alluring nose, slightly ashy and mineral, with blue fruits and pink berries, lively as a flirt. On the palate, it soars with strength and majesty, powerful like a knight, retaining a charm as intact as the nose promised. A wine whose limpid, airy texture carries through to a long, elegant finish of great refinement. A great success.

Dense garnet red. Youthful bouquet marked by the freshness of red berries. With a bit of aeration, it reveals chalky notes along with nuances of thyme and violets. Pleasant freshness on the attack. The wine has body, finesse, and character. A kind of compromise between grandeur and tenacity, between fervor and elegance. A brilliantly precise wine.

94–96. Barrel Sample. This already shows sophistication in a stream of black currant fruit set alongside the firm tannins that are still developing. Its structure and juicy berry fruits give richness and freshness at the end while also promising aging.