critic reviews
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Canon la Gaffeliere pops from the glass with exuberant notes of fresh black and red currants, kirsch, and wild blueberries followed by hints of pencil shavings, violets, and mossy tree bark. The elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate is tightly wound and refreshing, with firm fine-grained tannins and bright crunchy red and black berry flavors, finishing long and minerally. The blend is 45% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Intense ruby colour, satiny texture with a reassuring correction of salted cracker to give balance to the exuberant raspberry fruits. Lifts not just on the finish but from the first moments, stretching out with a kick of slate and crushed rocks. Sleek and burnished. 75% in oak barrels for ageing (40% new) on the lees. 25% in vats. 35hl/ha.
The 2023 Canon La Gaffelière saw harvest between September 20 and 29, cropped at 35hL/ha with slightly more Cabernet Franc (45%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) than usual. Matured in 40% new oak, this sports an unashamedly floral bouquet with pressed iris and violet flowers that are integrated with the black fruit—incredibly precise. The palate is very well balanced with slightly chalky tannins (a leitmotif of von Neipperg's 2023s). It fans out gently on the finish, yet it maintains a sense of verticality that you don't usually see in this Saint-Émilion. This is excellent, but a bit more Left Bank in style this year.
The 2023 Canon la Gaffeliere offers up aromas of minty berries, plums, pencil shavings, dried herbs and bay leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, bright and crunchy palate underpinned by tangy acids and chalky tannins. It's a blend of 35% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.