La Gaffelière St-Emilion 2020

98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2020 La Gaffelière is superb. Rich, dense and explosive. Black cherry, gravel, licorice, grilled herbs and menthol race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and explosive, the 2020 is magnificent. At this stage, the 2020 is an infant, but that won't be a problem in a few years. This vivid, statuesque Saint-Émilion is nothing short of thrilling. Drink: 2030-2060. (Feb 2023)"

98 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning! Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2028-2055. (6/29/23)"

97 points James Suckling: "Deep and intense notes of plums and blackberries with dark chocolate, toasted spices, walnut, crushed graphite and wet stones. Full-bodied with layers of ripe, velvety tannins that flow in a firm stream throughout the palate. Very structured. Delicious chocolate-wrapped black and blue fruit with spiced character and a really long finish. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc. Drink from 2028. (12/5/22)"

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "This wine's ripe tannins and fine perfumes come from the 40% Cabernet Franc in the blend. The structure is powerful even if masked by the generous black fruits. The wine has great potential. Drink from 2027. Alcohol 14.5%. (Apr 2023)"

94-96 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Wild plum and iris fragrance then chocolate, intensely herbal, herbal bitters, black pepper. Robustly built on the palate; grainy, fleshy, exceptionally well extracted, rich matter, a pinch of greenness heightens the tension without disrupting the harmony, well integrated alcohol, ripe macerated fruit, tobacco finish. A firm, very powerful wine with an aromatic lift of freshness; an exceptional prospect. (5/28/21)"

95 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "A worthy follow up to the excellent 2019, the 2020 La Gaffelière bursts with aromas of plums, sweet berries, licorice, mint and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and concentrated, with lively acids and vibrant fruit flavors, it's built around powdery, fine-grained tannins. Cabernet Franc represents fully 40% of the blend. As I wrote last year, this estate, in many respects Saint-Émilion's sleeping giant, is awakening. Drink: 2026-2050. (4/6/23)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Here's a winner in this heat-influenced vintage, showing remarkable purity and focus, with a gorgeous beam of cassis, cherry paste and violet cruising through, inlaid with subtle chalky minerality and backed by a broad stroke of mouthwatering tobacco on the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2040. (3/31/23)"

95 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc). Limestone dominance from the first moment, with saffron and oyster shell along with juicy and well-controlled blueberry and raspberry fruit, and white pepper spice. Cabernet Franc dominant in the aromatics of savoury tomato leaf, peony and heather, this is sleek, silky and excelllent quality. First vintage without the Grand Cru Classé on the label, as it withdrew from the ranking, and a clear loss to the classification. 42hl/ha yield. Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2027-2042. (12/1/22)"

95 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "Perfumed, delicate, generous and evocative all in equal measure. The fruit quality is excellent, so vibrant and lifted, shining out of the glass. Really bright with energy and dynamism. Lovely lifted expression full of rose petals, herbal-tinged raspberries, blackcurrants and plums. Chalky, creamy and salty, with a cooling freshness. Lots to like with classic elements as well as touches of the hot vintage. It’s not showing it’s best right now but this is delicious. Drinking Window: 2025-2044. (1/2/23)"

95 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Cabernet Franc is on the rise in many corners of St Emilion, even here at La Gaffelière where in 2020 it accounts for 40% of the blend, the remainder Merlot, the same blend as the 2019 vintage. This wine from Alexandre de Malet Roquefort and his team commences with an evidently fragrant style, the nose perfumed with the scents of pomegranate, crystalline redcurrant and pressed flowers. The palate picks up on this aromatic theme, and places these elements in a rather boldly styled palate, which is built from a fine-boned layer of perfumed fruit supported by a rich grip of toasted tannins. These meld together extremely well, the fresh and grippy finish infused with sweet incense and sandalwood. This is a surefire success, and one of the best examples of La Gaffelière I have tasted. How strange that, as it inches ever closer to the very top level of quality within the appellation, Alexandre felt he had no choice but to leave the St Emilion classification. (Dec 2022)"