1975 Chateau La Gaffeliere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe

1975 Chateau La Gaffeliere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe

Château La Gaffelière is a Bordeaux wine estate in the appellation of Saint-Émilion. It is ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B and is one of the oldest family-owned vineyards in the region. Like many of its neighbors, Château La Gaffelière’s wine is Merlot-dominant, with a small proportion of Cabernet Franc.

The estate is located just south of Saint-Émilion town, with the château buildings at the foot of the so-called St-Emilion plateau (Premier Grand Cru Classé A Château Ausone lies at the top of the slope while Château Pavie – promoted to “A” status in 2012 – sits to the east). La Gaffelière’s vineyards lie on the lower slope, facing broadly southeast.

In all, the property boasts 22 hectares (54 acres) of the vineyard, of which roughly 70 percent is planted to Merlot and 30 percent to Cabernet Franc.

In the winery, the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with malolactic fermentation taking place in the barrel. The wine is aged in French oak barrels (of which, on average, about half are new oak) for up to 20 months.