Château La Gaffelière 2019

The style of a Premier Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émilion by Château La Gaffelière

The estate
Located at the southern entrance to the village of Saint-Emilion, the Premier Grand Cru Classé B of Saint-Émilion Château La Gaffelière boasts ancient origins. Some mosaics excavated at the site attest to the presence of vines at the estate in the Gallo-Roman period. Owned by the Malet Roquefort family for over three centuries and located in the "golden triangle," between the hills of Châteaux Pavie and Ausone, Château La Gaffelière embodies the excellence of Saint-Emilion fine wines.

The vineyard
The Château La Gaffelière vineyard covers 38 hectares, including 22 classified Premier Grand Cru Classé. This vineyard is located in 3 different areas. Here we find the famous limestone plateau, an outcropping of clayey “Molasses from Fronsadais” soil and deep carbonate sand. The Château La Gaffelière vineyard is cultivated with sustainable agriculture with minimal intervention.

The vintage
The mild winter led to bud-burst in late March. Flowering took place under great conditions and July was very hot. A thunderstorm alleviated the vines of water stress, allowing them to resist the heat throughout the summer and deliver grapes at the perfect stage of ripeness in time for the harvest.

The winemaking
Manual harvest. Merlot from September 18 to October 8. Cabernet Franc from September 30 to October 11. After harvest, grapes were placed in a cold room for 12 hours. Optical sorting. Plot-by-plot vinification in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks filled by means of gravity and without the use of sulphur. Alcoholic fermentation with pump-overs and punch-downs. Malolactic fermentation in vats (75%) and barrels (25%). Maceration for 30 days for Merlot and 32 days for Cabernet Franc.

The ageing
14 to 16 months of ageing in barrels, 60% of which are of new French oak. Racking “a l’esquive.”

The blend

Merlot (60%), cabernet franc (40%).