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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2015 Saint-Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé, Château La Gaffelière

2015 Saint-Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé, Château La Gaffelière

Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France

Velvet Inheritance

Generous, fragrant and quietly sophisticated, La Gaffelière 2015 opens with ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry, lifted by floral notes and the subtle freshness of Cabernet Franc. As it unfolds, tobacco leaf, truffle and woodland nuances bring savoury depth, while touches of espresso and warm oak spice weave through the fruit. There is richness here, but also restraint, with each layer revealing itself gradually in the glass.

The palate is ample and finely textured, combining succulent fruit with silky tannins that retain a gently grained grip. Fresh acidity gives the wine direction, carrying its dark berries and earthy complexity into a long, composed finish. With a decade of development behind it, this is an enticing opportunity to explore a distinguished Saint-Émilion as its flavours become more intricate. Enjoy its emerging maturity over dinner, or cellar well-stored bottles for further development through the 2030s and beyond.

For when: An unhurried dinner calls for a bottle with a little history and plenty to say.

Pairs with: Roast lamb with garlic and rosemary, beef fillet with a mushroom sauce, duck confit with lentils, venison casserole, porcini and chestnut pithivier or mature Comté.

La Gaffelière lies between the hills of Ausone and Pavie, in one of Saint-Émilion’s most distinguished vineyard settings. Its history reaches far beyond the château itself: Roman mosaics discovered on the property in 1969 reveal the site’s ancient past. The 2015 carries that sense of continuity into the glass, combining the generosity of a warm vintage with the estate’s characteristic aromatic finesse.

Whats in the bottle
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc

Notable Awards
97 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

£99.95 - £99.95
£99.95
£99.95 - £99.95
£99.95
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The Malet Roquefort family has overseen La Gaffelière since 1705, giving the estate more than three centuries of family continuity. Situated just south of Saint-Émilion’s medieval centre, it combines an exceptional historical setting with a sustained commitment to improving its wines. Successive generations have preserved its identity while investing in the vineyards and cellar.
The vineyard spans three complementary settings: the limestone plateau, clay-limestone slopes and more siliceous soils at the foot of the hillside. Its southerly exposure encourages ripening, while the variation in soils gives the team different expressions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to work with. This diversity helps explain the wines’ combination of depth, perfume and freshness.
Alexandre de Malet Roquefort leads the estate alongside technical director Damien Bielle, with consulting support from Stéphane Derenoncourt’s team. Careful vineyard management and separate vinification of individual parcels underpin the approach. For the 2015 vintage, integrated farming, grass cover between rows and selective canopy management helped guide the fruit towards balanced ripeness.

The 2015 blends 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc from vines averaging 30 years old. The hot, dry season encouraged concentration, while August rainfall helped sustain ripening. Merlot was harvested from 28 September to 15 October, with Cabernet Franc picked from 8 to 15 October. Grapes were gathered by hand into small crates.
Before sorting, the fruit spent 12 hours in a cold room at 7°C. Optical sorting then selected the berries before each parcel was vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks filled by gravity. Alcoholic fermentation involved pumping over and punching down, while malolactic fermentation took place 75% in tanks and 25% in barrels.
The wine matured for 14 months in French oak barrels, 50% new, with three rackings during élevage. This combination of new and previously used oak supported the wine’s structure and added subtle spice while preserving the fruit and floral character of the blend.
Alcohol: 14.5%. Recommended drinking window: 2025 to 2045.

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