Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2025 La Gaffelière soars out of the glass with magnificent intensity. Strong Cabernet Franc overtones and bright saline notes from the clay-limestone plateau are finely sketched with tremendous precision. The 2025 bristles with tension from start to finish. It's a phenomenal wine by any measure. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant château that has been producing truly exceptional wines over the last decade or more, the 2025 Château La Gaffelière sports a deep purple hue and a gorgeous perfume of black and blue fruits, minty herbs, graphite, and chocolate, as well as perfectly integrated background oak. On the palate, it's ripe, full-bodied, and concentrated, with a deep, layered style that brings the purity as well as the freshness that's the hallmark of the vintage. It's going to check in near the top of this notable vintage.
Barrel Sample: 96-98+ -
James Suckling
Well driven, velvety and precise, with red berry and leather aromas. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Crushed berry and dark chocolate flavors and a compact, savory finish.
Barrel Sample: 94-95 -
Decanter
Perfumed fragrance on the nose. Juicy and fun straight away, the acidity gives this energy, focus and lift, bright and upfront. I love this, not trying too hard at all, there’s still tannins in the background but all the focus is on the fruit and balance. Crisp, yet totally fragrant on the palate too. There’s power no doubt but this is just really charming. Will be lovely after ageing.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2025 La Gaffelière reveals an open, expressive bouquet of cassis, with a vivid fruit profile that becomes more floral with aeration. Medium- to full-bodied, it's more reserved on the palate, built around a firm, limestone-inflected structure, with tannins that show a touch of dryness at this stage. The contrast between aromatic generosity and structural restraint will likely resolve with élevage.
Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.