Château Canon-la-Gaffelière Saint-Émilion 2016 - 1er Grand Cru Classé B BIO

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

At the foot of the Saint-Émilion hillside, Canon-la-Gaffelière is the flagship estate of Stephan von Neipperg, who succeeded his father. This German aristocrat, himself an oenologist and agronomist with a degree from Montpellier and whose family owns extensive vineyards in Wurtenberg, has become one of the most dynamic and innovative winemakers in the Libourne region. Knowing how to play on both the power of the constitution and the finesse provided by the delicious Cabernet Franc from the pied de côte, he has restored full expression to the château's wines, which fully deserve their new rank of premier grand cru classé.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

In less than ten years, Stephan von Neiperg, with the help of Stéphane Derenoncourt, has restored the wine to its 1950s stature, incorporating all the advances of modern, well-managed oenology. Promoted to the rank of premier grand cru classé, certified organic in 2014 (an example that should leave a lasting impression), the estate is continuing its in-depth work based on a collection of Cabernet Franc massal selections and good rootstock choices, "with the aim of building a vineyard for the next fifty and sixty years". The warm, early-ripening soils of the hillside are ideally suited to these Cabernet Francs, which add finesse and nobility to the wine's tannic structure. The sacrifice of some of the volume explains the extraordinary concentration, but without artifice, of recent vintages.

Wine Spectator

About the wine:

Bold tannins, rich fruit and good acidity combine in a powerful but still fresh wine. With acidity and elegant blackcurrant flavors, the wine's fruitiness cuts through the tannins and finishes with a juicy, fragrant aftertaste. Drink from 2025.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

It offers very fresh, juicy flavors of jammy blackcurrant, interspersed with hints of bramble, roasted apple wood and sweet tobacco. It shows extraordinary purity, energy and drive, with a piercing echo of minerality in the mouthwatering finish. Best from 2022 to 2038. 6,917 cases produced.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

Canon-La-Gaffelière 2016 is just as striking in bottle as it was in barrel. Brilliant, intensely aromatic and precise, the 2016 has it all. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and rose petal run through this silky, super-expressive Saint-Émilion. In 2016, Canon-La-Gaffelière is particularly polished, refined and nuanced, which also means less powerful than in the past. It was convincing both times I tasted it in bottle.

James Suckling

About the wine:

Very complex aromas of tobacco, black truffle, blueberry and blackberry. Subtle. Minty too. Full-bodied but so elegant. Structured with finesse and purity. Tannins melt into the wine. Fabulous young wine.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Garnet red. What fruit and brilliance. Between the limestone, red fruit and spice notes, there are a few timid traces of wood, underlining the finesse and delicacy of the ageing. Dark berry notes too. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, compact and precise, with tannins that reveal themselves on the finish. The tannins are powerful, fine-grained and in perfect harmony with the acid structure. Fruity, persistent finish. 2026-2051

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is aromatic, elegant, fine and delicate. Notes of blackberry, crushed blackcurrant, iris/blueberry and, more lightly, crunchy strawberry are combined with hints of spice, toast and Sichuan pepper, as well as a touch of racy minerality and a discreet hint of licorice. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers good definition, sweetness, freshness, good density (but with finesse), a little tension and a fine acidic structure. On the palate, this wine expresses juicy/full-bodied blackberry, fleshy strawberry and, more lightly, small, fleshy berry notes, combined with small/fine touches of minerality, toastiness and a very discreet hint of vanilla. The tannins are fine, well-balanced and elegant. Delicious and very discreetly chewy on the finish.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

A super wine combining concentration, elegance, silky tannins and an array of floral, stone, cherry, plum, espresso, licorice and smoke essences. Give it at least a decade before opening and then enjoy it for the next 20 years.