Andy Frieden, JJ Buckley, February 2013

50% merlot, 45% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon. Aged in 80% new oak for 19 to 20 months.Intensely dark, almost opaque purple core.Extremely perfumed notes of flower blossoms, charcoal, clay and limestone minerality are full of intensity. The gorgeous attack of spiced plum and black cherry explodes deliciously, with freshness and juiciness on the mid-palate. Incredibly manicured tannins are plush, with precision and length already at such a young stage.This will be ready to drink in a couple of years and then cellar well for 25 to 30+.

Chuck Hayward, JJ Buckley, February 2013

55% merlot, 35% cabernet franc, 10% cabernet sauvignon. Purple-black color with an opaque core, surrounded by a thin garnet rim. Showcasing a powerful and concentrated bouquet, there's intriguing complexity alongside dense black fruit aromas. The palate harmonizes appropriately with the nose,with gobs of blackberry and leaving a broad mouthfeel. With just enough acidity to add fresh lift, the round, fruit-filled finish masks what tannins are surely there. Enjoy 2014-2028.

Cory Gowan, JJ Buckley, April 2011

55% merlot, 35% cabernet franc, and 10% cabernet sauvignon. 45-year-old vineyard is situated in clay and limestone soils and sandy-clay soils for the section that lies further south on the plain. The soil on each plot here differs widely which requires terrific understanding of the soil in order to marry these varietals successfully. Yields were 28 hls/ha. Aged for 15-20 months in 80-100% new oak. Alcohol 14.5%. This has a rich, potent nose that manages to combine both power and elegance. At this stage the nose is incredibly expressive, rich, and full of dark red fruits and cassis. This is very round on the palate, plush and full-bodied and rich and is already showing its ample velvety tannins on the finish. Hold for five years before enjoying untl 2030+.

94 -95 points,

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, April 2011

This is tight and powerful. Solid frame of fruit and tannins. Curious about this. Like the 2009. This is 40% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot.

Jancis Robinson, April 2011

Very dark, sweet and succulent and much fresher than its stablemate Clos de l'Oratoire - but at the limit of ripeness! Lots of vitality, serious wine. Another sample tasted blind was also clearly at the far end of the ripeness spectrum, but seemed a little too sweet, almost sickly. Black cherry jam plus green notes on the end. If this second sample was not tired but actually more representative then I'd suggest a score of 16 and that the wine should probably be drunk in the period 2016-22 but my score refers to the sample tasted non blind at the property.

93 -95 points,

Jeff Leve, TheWineCellarInsider.com, April 2011

Low yields of 28 hecoliters per hectare produced a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that will be aged in 70% new oak. Licorice, chocolate mint, spice, jammy black raspberries, silky lush textures and long, fresh, sweet chocolate cherry expansive finish are the hall marks of this wine.

94 points,

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, November 2012

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. Comparing this next to the Canon, the Canon-la-Gaffeliere is patently much more opulent and modern in style with luscious dark berry fruit, bay and hints of truffle. The palate is full-bodied with sweet ripe fleshy mulberry and dark plum, hints of fig and white pepper towards the gregarious finish. It is a lovely, unashamedly exotic Saint Emilion.

95 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, March 2013

This wine shows wonderfully exotic tapenade, licorice, Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, blackberry and sweet cherry notes in its strikingly provocative aromatics. On the palate, the wine is dense and full-bodied, with stunning concentration, purity, texture and length. It is full-bodied, silky smooth and seems to have more in common with the 2009 than one might expect, although the freshness and tannin levels are slightly more elevated. Drink it over the next 20+ years. An absolutely spectacular success once again from proprietor Stephan von Niepperg. Gilles Pauquet is the consultant and has done an exemplary job with this particular estate. --Robert Parker

93 -95 points,

Wine Enthusiast, June 2011

A beautifully structured wine that is both ripe and elegant. It is bolstered by tannins, the acidity a great cutting edge. The black currant fruits are already delicious, although the tannins promise a great future.

96 points,

Wine Spectator, March 2013

This takes the power of the vintage and puts it in its pocket for later, preferring instead to let mouthwatering briar, loganberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit strut its way forward, enlivened with roasted wood spice and supported by suavely but thoroughly embedded iron-tinged structure. Should cruise for two decades. Best from 2016 through 2035. -JM

About Winery

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière is owned by Comte von Neipperg. Located in the centre of the St.Emilion appellation, due south of St.Emilion town, the property has a similar climate to that enjoyed by both St.Emilion and Pomerol: more continental than the maritime Médoc, with generally more spring rainfall, though less in summer and winter. Canon-la-Gaffelière's 19.5 hectares of vineyards (Merlot 55%, Cabernet Franc 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%) lie at the base of the`Côtes', on relatively flat, sandy-gravel topsoil and sandy-clay subsoil. Vinification at Canon-la-Gaffelière is traditional: up to 4 weeks in temperature-controlled-wooden vats followed by up to 18 months' maturation in oak barrels, 50% new. It is classified as a Grand Cru Classé.

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