Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A total gem in the vintage, the 2008 Canon-la-Gaffelière checks in as 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised in 90% new French oak. Showing a kiss of maturity in its white truffle, dried flowers, spice, and currant-driven aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full body, incredible elegance and purity, good concentration, and a great finish. Count me in as a fan, and this will continue drinking brilliantly for another 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A sensational sleeper of the vintage, this modern-styled St.-Emilion boasts a dark purple color along with a beautiful bouquet of black olives, cherry jam, incense, spicy oak and black currants. Full-bodied, unctuously textured, lush, seductive and gloriously perfumed, this strikingly intense claret can be drunk now and over the next 12-15 years. Bravo!
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Wine Enthusiast
The wine shows both rich density and structure. It gives weight while remaining stylish. The delicious black berry fruits on the finish characterize a wine that is classic, balancing fruit and tannins.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and ripe, with flashes of black Mission fig, Turkish coffee and roasted apple wood flavors running through the dense core of plum sauce, black licorice and currant paste. The long finish has ample depth and grip, with a singe of black tea. A very classy wine. Best from 2013 through 2019
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James Suckling
I really like the mineral and fruity character on the nose and palate with hints of raspberries and spices. It's full bodied, with a balance of fine tannins and a berry, mineral after taste. This needs about three to four years to soften.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.