2020 La Gaffeliere (St-Emilion)

A run of successful vintages at La Gaffeliere, and this again proves why it is an estate to watch, striking an expert balance between power and finesse. Offers a ton of cassis, blackberry, black cherry and damson fruits, licorice root and crushed stone, just gorgeously juicy and stretches out across the palate. Austere tannins at this point, plenty of limestone character, a little tight on the finish but with a velvet texture and promises to age with grace. A yield of 42hl/ha. 95 points

The 2020 La Gaffeliere has an intriguing, complex nose, a melange of red and black fruit, cigar box, undergrowth and mint, quite mercurial in the glass as it opens with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins, a beautiful seam of acidity and perhaps the most satin-like texture I have encountered on a young La Gaffeliere. It sashays to a harmonious and precise finish and lingers with wonderful mineralite. This is a magnificent prospect. 96-98 points

Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 La Gaffeliere gallops out of the glass with exuberant scents of crushed black plums, boysenberries and fresh blackberries, plus hints of eucalyptus, dark chocolate, crushed rocks and iron ore, with a waft of lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with compelling energy, delivering layers of black and red berries with fantastic tension and finely grained tannins, finishing very long and wonderfully minerally. 96-98 points

Dark, deep crimson. Very interesting and distinctive on the nose – fresher than most. Luscious and sweet on the palate with a little hint of oak. I have to say that I much prefer the nose to the palate at this juncture. But my score is for that impressive aroma and the nudging but (just) not-too-insistent tannins. 16.5+ points