Château Canon La Gaffelière 2020

Pleasant, complex nose; shows pedigree, freshness, tension and elegance, as well as substance and depth; ranks among this estate’s top wines!

A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Canon la Gaffelière offers up inviting aromas of dark berries, plums, burning embers, rose petals, incense and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's suave and perfumed, with melting, powdery tannins and a vibrant core of fruit. As ever, the elevated percentage of Cabernet Franc lends it a singular and compelling style.

Ripe, fresh and expressive, with beautiful mulberry, boysenberry and blackberry purée notes that work well with light sanguine, black tea and singed apple wood details throughout. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2029 through 2040. 5,500 cases made, 750 cases imported.

Concentrated and intense, with juicy liquorice and blackberry flavours dominating the attack. This is an excellent wine showing beautiful tension with a slate and crushed stone texture. Chocolate shavings, bitter and intense, give a kick on the finish. Even better 24 hours after opening, which is an extremely good sign for an en primeur sample. A yield of 32.5hl/ha. 50% new oak.

Such clarity here, with redcurrants, stems, fresh herbs, blackcurrants, and cherries on the nose. Medium to full body. Very tight, fine tannins. It builds nicely and has excellent length. Class and authenticity here. Needs three to five years.

55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Almost earthy, vineyard-fresh feel to the nose and palate. Flows gently, building discreetly to a persistent finish. Attractive fruit and fine-grained tannins. Ageing potential. (JL)

The 2020 Canon-la-Gaffelière has a vibrant and energetic bouquet driven by 30% Cabernet Franc (from a massale selection) and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This gives it a Left Bank slant in a positive sense, lending dimension. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, focused and saline, with a definite marine influence, undercurrents of brine and a touch of black olive compote. Beautifully composed on the finish, this is a delicious Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.

In contention as one of the top vintages produced here, the wine is strong on its floral characteristics. Once past the opening bouquet of white flowers and dried roses you find plums, black cherries, black raspberries, mint and cigar wrapper nuances. The palate provides a lush, opulent, as well as vibrant, energetic backdrop for its wealth of deep red fruits and oceanic influences. The finish has a touch of salty chalk that adds complexity to its wealth of silky, ripe, red fruits. Drink from 2025-2050.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, slight brightening at the rim. Dark wild berries underlaid with candied orange zest, fresh sweet cherry, savoury tobacco, a hint of noble wood. Juicy, fine fruit expression, finely finessed structure, fine, supporting tannins, salty minerality, red-berry facets on the finish, delicate herbal savouriness on the aftertaste, a pleasantly chalky touch on the finish.

Quite possibly the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted, the 2020 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière offers that rare mix of richness and elegance that makes this vintage so compelling. Classic notes of cassis, ripe black cherries, spring flowers, and truffly earth define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with beautiful tannins and a great finish. This is another stunningly good Saint-Emilion that will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: (55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.5 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Silky, finely concentrated, complex, mineral bouquet, a bouquet of red and blue grapes, flint, black tea, currants. Densely interwoven, multi-layered, elegant palate with creamy, fresh fruit, a finely muscular, elegant structure, plenty of fine tannins, a very long, dense, powerful finish with many lingering aromas.

(55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.5 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Silky, finely concentrated, complex, mineral bouquet, a profusion of red and blue grapes, flint, black tea, currants. Densely woven, multi-layered, elegant palate with creamy, fresh fruit, a finely muscular, elegant structure, plenty of fine tannins, very long, dense, powerful finish with many lingering aromas. 19/20 2028 - 2050

An aristocratic wine, with elegant aromas of fresh red fruits, spices, white pepper, and barely faded flowers. The wine is taut, racy, juicy, highly digestible, with supple tannins and a velvety touch. An immense success.

Even though Cabernet Franc accounts for 30%, it seems to express itself with improbable relevance! Floral nuances are the first to emerge. The wine shows exceptional depth right from the attack, while remaining juicy and taut! A kind of tightrope walker who knows perfectly well it won’t tip over because it has a very clear objective ahead. To span the decades and delight a great many palates. A wine full of energy, vigor, tension and serenity. It is brilliant, very accomplished, and exceptionally fresh.

The nose is fruity and fresh, offering depth, a lovely elongated profile, fine grain and a certain richness and concentration in subtlety/balance. It reveals notes of vibrant blackcurrant and violet, and more subtly rose, combined with touches of lilac, bright blue fruits, fine hints of anise and aromatic herbs, as well as a subtle touch of vanilla pod and Madagascar pepper. The palate is fruity and elegant, with beautiful freshness, fine definition, precision, indulgence, a touch of richness (in freshness and finesse), roundness, subtlety, fullness, minerality and precision. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of boysenberry, vibrant blackcurrant and, more slightly, bright blue fruits, combined with touches of lilac and cornflower, with subtle hints of saffron and black tea, as well as discreet notes of tonka bean, toastiness and a discreet hint of toasted hazelnut. The tannins are precise and finely plush. Good length. A slight chew and a subtle sapid note are present on the finish/persistence. A wine of finesse, delicacy and plenitude.

Color of normal intensity, bright and purple. Moderately aromatic nose, with ripe fruit complemented by a lovely hint of raspberry. Caressing on entry, the wine lacks mid-palate definition and flesh. It finishes with a smooth, rounded finale. Medium length.

A superb success in 2020 for Canon La Gaffelière. The eloquent density on the nose is matched by superb aromatic complexity, evoking notes of licorice and menthol. Very fine texture on the palate, both gentle and powerful, superbly velvety and juicy. Supported by a beautiful structure, chalky foundations and finely chiselled tannins. The whole unfolds with great elegance and impressive persistence. One of the great wines of the vintage.

94–96. Barrel Sample. A richly structured wine, this shows great density. The blackberry flavors, layered with impressive tannins, are expressively ripe and promise considerable aging.