Château La Gaffelière 2025

Château La Gaffelière lies in Saint-Émilion, on the right bank of Bordeaux, where the estate holds a Premier Grand Cru Classé ranking and a long-held reputation for a classic, restrained style. Its vineyards sit at the foot of the limestone plateau, on soils of clay and limestone with sandier patches lower down. The limestone retains water through dry spells and lends freshness and a firm acid line, while the cooler clay favours Merlot, the dominant grape here alongside Cabernet Franc. The 2025 is aged sixteen months in barrel and a further eight months in bottle before release, the wood ageing softening tannins through slow oxygen exchange and the bottle time allowing the aromatics to settle. The wine is deep and dark in the glass. The nose shows ripe blackberry and plum with liquorice, tobacco and a savoury earthiness. The palate is full and elegant, the black fruit carried by ripe tannins and a fresh acid backbone that keeps the higher alcohol in balance, closing long and earthy. Decant an hour ahead and serve at 17 degrees. It suits roast beef, lamb and mushroom dishes.