Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 2009

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is well-cloaked for now in roasted vanilla and espresso notes, but there´s ample, fleshy fig sauce and mulled blackberry fruit in reserve. The long finish sports a melted licorice snap feel. Dense, but beautifully polished and pure. For the cellar. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2015 through 2030. 5,140 cases made." –JM.

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "An intriguing blend of nearly 50% Merlot, a whopping 35% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon (a somewhat unusual combination for this region), the 2009 reminds me of the 1990. A big, inky/purple-tinged wine with just over 14% natural alcohol, it exhibits exotic, flamboyant aromas of espresso roast, incense, sweet black cherries, black currants, licorice, asphalt, barbecue smoke, Christmas fruitcake and herbs. Full-bodied with silky tannins, luscious fruit, a hedonistic yet complex personality, low acidity, noticeable tannin and enviable purity, this head-turning beauty can be enjoyed over the next 15-20 years. This has been one of my favorite St.-Emilions since the late 1980s, when proprietor Stefan Neipperg began to resurrect this once moribund estate that made so many mediocre wines in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s (the 1982 was shameful). It is one of hundreds of examples of properties that have been returned to life, providing Bordeaux with greater quality, diversity and recognition than it has ever had in its long history." Drink: 2012 - 2032 - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "One of the peculiarities of St.-Émilion´s classification is that Canon la Gaffelière is not classed in the top rung. Because, as this wine shows, it produces superb wines. This is ripe while so elegant, with great intensity and sweet perfumes." - 02.01.2012 - Roger Voss.

WEINWISSER: "Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violetten Reflexen. Konzentriert, schwarze Kirschen, Rauch und Teernuancen, darunter Arabica-Kaffee, an einen Touriga Nacional erinnernd. Festes Fleisch, prägnantes Extrakt, man spürt deutlich die massive Konzentration des extrem niedrigen Ertrages von nur 22 hl/ha. Was soll man hier bewerten? Die Kraft (+) oder die Finessen (–)? Potenzialwertung:"