Medium to deep garnet-purple coloured, the 2018 Canon la Gaffeliere out of the gate delivers a seductive nose of plum preserves, kirsch and Black Forest cake with nuances of lilacs, underbrush, Indian spices and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is filled with black fruit preserves and loads of spicy accents, supported by chewy tannins and well-balanced freshness, finishing long and savoury.
Composed of 55% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak, 55% new, for 17 months, the 2015 Canon la Gaffeliere features a deep garnet-purple color and a cedar-laced nose to begin, giving way to fragrant underlying scents of roses and violets with a core of crushed black currants, blackberries and Bing cherries plus hints of fallen leaves and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, the seductively perfumed red and black fruit fills the mouth, framed with plush tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing very long and minerally.
The 2014 Canon la Gaffeliere has a fruit-driven, powerful bouquet with rounded raspberry, kirsch, mulberry and light honeyed scents that seem pure and seductive. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated red plum and tart cherry fruit. There is a spicy residue on the back palate with fine structure and poise towards the finish. As ever, a well-crafted, quite delicious Canon la Gaffeliere that should age with style. If the 2014 Canon doesn't quite deliver the opulence for you, then this suits the bill.
Proprietor Comtes von Neipperg has done an incredible job with this estate, turning things around from a vegetal, diluted and undernourished wine in the 1970s and 1980s to something that has gotten stronger and strong ever since 1988.
The dense ruby/purple 2012 offers pure blackcurrant and black cherry fruit along with some notes of Christmas spices and earth. It is full-bodied and opulent, with light tannins in the finish. This is a beauty of impeccable balance, great purity and texture. Kudos to von Neipperg, who rarely ever seems to make a mistake.
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Canon la Gaffeliere delivers classic plum preserves, boysenberries and cigar box scents with wafts of underbrush, dried roses and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house with a solid line of grainy tannins and racy freshness supporting the dense fruit, finishing with compelling purity and great length.
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon la Gaffeliere leaps from the glass with bold baked blackberries, plum preserves and blueberry compote notes with nuances of licorice, sweaty leather, tapenade and garrigue. It is quite mature and open in the medium-bodied mouth, with a firm, chewy frame and lively backbone, finishing with loads of savory/meaty layers.
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière has a relatively opulent bouquet compared to the 2006 Les Grandes Murailles, with scents of cassis, cranberry, leather and roasted herbs, demonstrating a little more "guts" than its peers (as Canon-la-Gaffelière is wont to do). The palate is medium-bodied with furry tannin, quite plush in the mouth with tart red cherry fruit, strawberry, morels and a vein of tobacco towards the finish that carries commendable weight. This is drinking well after ten years and should provide another five years of drinking pleasure.
Made in a structured, tannic, restrained style (representative of the vintage’s overall personality), this medium to full-bodied 2001 exhibits scents of espresso roast, cedar, chocolate, black currants, and cherries. With sweet but noticeable tannin, exceptional multilayered flavors, and excellent texture, elegance as well as purity, it will be at its finest between 2005-2013.
Performing as I expected, but still several years away from full maturity, this extraordinarily flamboyant, full-bodied, opulent, sexy St. Emilion stood out for its backward structure and youthful personality. A dark plum/garnet hue is followed by a superb bouquet of roasted coffee, kirsch, blackberries, licorice, herbs, and forest floor. Full-bodied, dense, rich, and pure, it is a total hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on. Enjoy it over the next decade.
A massive wine, with a cigar box, chocolatey, thick, black currant and cherry-scented nose, this full-bodied wine is crammed with layers of fruit, extract, glycerin, and alcohol. Spicy yet rich, with high tannin, the 1995 Canon-La-Gaffeliere will need a minimum of 5-6 years of cellaring. The finish is long and rich, and the tannin sweet rather than astringent.