Château La Gaffelière 2017 Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé

Parker: Composed of 40% Cabernet Franc and 60% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 La Gaffeliere has pronounced cassis, baked plums and blackberry pie notes with suggestions of lavender, baking spices and rose hip tea. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of ripe, fine-grained tannins, an electric intensity of bright black and blue fruits and wonderful freshness, finishing long and minerally.La Gaffelière was significantly affected by frost, but a good portion of the vineyard is up on the hill by Château Ausone, and it is this unaffected section that was largely used to make the grand vin this year. I have to say; this superlative section has produced one of the very finest La Gaffelière’s I have tasted. Consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt confirmed that no second-generation fruit from the lower lying, frost affected plots was used for this wine.