Château Canon la Gaffelière 2022

Château Canon La Gaffelière is the pride and joy of the well-respected von Neipperg family in Saint-Émilion. The estate was classified as a Saint-Émillion Premiere Grand Cru Classés Class B in 2012 after decades of hard work.  The wine of Château Canon La Gaffelière is powerful, complex and dense.  Since 2014, the scores of this property are on the steady climb, and these multi-layered, perfumed, richly concentrated wines are a worthy purchase for any oenophile who loves to experience the choicest offerings of Saint-Émilion.
 
Château Canon La Gaffelière initially had two separate names in the 19th Century.  The property was once known as Canon Boitard and La Gaffelière-Boitard.  The early owners decided to simplify things by combining the names and thus, Château Canon La Gaffelière was born.  The real history of the estate began when the Von Neipperg family purchased the property in 1971.  The von Neipperg family is a well-known German family of vignerons in the wine world.  They have been involved in viticulture for 800 years, making wine in Germany since the 13th Century.  The von Neippergs began to purchase land in Saint-Émilion in 1983 and devoted themselves to each property they acquired.  Terroir is the most important philosophy for this family of winemakers, and though each property they own subscribes to similar vinification and viticultural practices, the wines are all strikingly different.  Château Canon La Gaffelière is their main production while Château La Mondotte is their more coveted sister property due to the much smaller size.  They firmly believe if one shows respect to the land and vineyards, the wine will reflect that.  Clearly, they are doing something right.
 
The terroir at Château Canon La Gaffelière is a mixture of clay, sand and limestone soils that are signature to the Right Bank region.  It’s a bit warmer in this portion of Saint-Émilion, and the clay here is signature to retaining heat and assisting in ripening the vines.  The vineyards at Château Canon La Gaffelière are a mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though the von Neippergs acknowledge that Merlot is the star of the Right Bank, they also have a profound respect for Cabernet Franc and the layers it brings to the wines from this region.  This carries through in the grand vin of Château Canon La Gaffelière, for there is no shortage of complexity in this wine.
 
The viticultural practices over at Château Canon La Gaffelière are all about sustainable farming.  Here, organic compost is used with a mixture of regular ploughing  to help with aeration. From some plots in Château Canon La Gaffelière, the legendary property Château Ausone can be seen.  The grapes are 100% Organically Certified, and some of the oldest vines on the property are 80 years old.  The grapes are harvested by hand, and the wine is vinified in a gravity flow winery. The wine of Château Canon La Gaffelière does require at least 10-15 years bottle ageing due to its complexity.  It needs that time to lay down and reveal the gorgeously floral secondary characteristics associated with this profound wine. 

"The 2022 Canon-La-Gaffelière soars out of the glass with a rush of exotic floral and spice notes. Rose petal, mint, white pepper, chalk, lavender and mocha make a strong first impression. Lithe and elegant, but with plenty of understated power, the 2022 is an absolute jewel of a wine." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (01/28/2025), Ratings: 97

"The 2022 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is brilliant stuff and should be snatched up by readers. Black cherries, iron, tapenade, and exotic floral notes all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and no shortage of mid-palate depth or length on the finish. A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that will see 40% new oak, it's a flawlessly balanced, incredibly impressive Saint-Emilion that will have no problems competing with the 2019 and 2020." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2022 En Primeur, (05/10/2023), Ratings: 95-97 

"A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Canon la Gaffelière exhibits aromas of raspberries and plums, complemented by notions of iris, rose petals, incense and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's supple, suave and sophisticated, with a lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish." - William Kelley, Issue 266 End of April 2023, (04/28/2023), Ratings: 94-96

"Ripe perfumed, floral and black fruits on the nose. Intense and concentrated, with tobacco, cherries, violets and crushed stones. Full, chewy and round, plushly textured but keeping a cool and savoury touch to the palate with balancing acidity that keeps the interest and movement. Dynamic and structured, lovely detail and density to this, you have richness but there’s also a vein of sweetness and tension that focuses the wine and gives the definition. Smooth and elegant, not the most vibrant, but the composure and overall character is lovely. Higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the grand vin. A yield of 47hl/ha. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. A yield of 29hl/ha. A yield of 47hl/ha. 40% new oak barrels." - Georgina Hindle, Decanter, (05/25/2023), Ratings: 95

"Enjoyable brambled fruits, medium intensity ruby colour, smoked earth, cedar and sandalwood, this has a precision and limestone fingerprint. Traces of smoked oak as it opens, this has precision and a limestone fingerprint,with violets, peonies, raspberry leaf. Neipperg family estate, 18ha, certified organic, 47hl/h yield."-  Jane Anson, (03/07/2025), Ratings: 94