Château La Gaffelière 2015

A fine Saint-Emilion wine that blends power, finesse and aromatic elegance

The estate

Located to the south of the village of Saint-Émilion, Château La Gaffelière, Premier Grand Cru Classé de Saint-Émilion, boasts ancient origins. The discovery of mosaics during excavations confirmed the presence of vines on the estate as early as the Gallo-Roman era. Owned by the Malet Roquefort family for more than three centuries and located in the "golden triangle" between the hills of Châteaux Pavie and Ausone, Château La Gaffelière embodies the excellence of fine red Saint-Émilion wines.

The vineyard

The vineyard of Château La Gaffelière covers 38 hectares, 22 of which are Premier Grand Cru Classé. The vineyard is planted in 3 different areas. Here we find the most famous limestone plateau, an outcropping of clayey ‘’Molasses from Fronsadais’’ and the deep carbonate-rich sands. The vineyard of Château La Gaffelière is managed in a sustainable manner, emphasising the most gentle practices and interventions.

The vintage

A hot and dry vintage, 2015 is perfect for Château La Gaffelière’s clay-limestone terroir. The mild, dry spring provided ideal weather conditions for both budburst and early flowering. The low rainfall during the summer and the consequent water stress favoured the concentration of the grapes. The month of August was marked by a few rainy spells which were beneficial, helping to perfect the ripening of the grapes and guaranteeing a good quality harvest. The Indian summer in September was very promising, the grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness and the health of the vineyard was remarkable.

Vinification and ageing

The tailor-made vinification of Château La Gaffelière 2015 is carried out in the vat room, which was renovated in 2013, and enables the teams to precisely manage each plot. Following destemming, the grapes are conditioned for 12 hours in a cold room at 7°C before being selected with an optical sorting method. The vinification is carried out in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks filled using the gravity-flow method. Alcoholic fermentation along with regular pumping over and punching down. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vats (75%) and barrels (25%). The wine is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels (50% in new barrels).

The blend

Merlot (70%)

Cabernet Franc (30%).