Wine Advisor
Canon La Gaffeliere 1982
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Revealing considerable amber in its washed-out ruby color, this spicy, herb-scented wine still retains some fruit in its aromatics, but it is clearly past its apogee. The 1982 was made before young Stephan Von Neipberg began an intensive overhaul of this estate. Since 1988, Canon-La-Gaffeliere has been one of the top dozen estates of St.-Emilion, making wines (even in lighter years) that are better than what was produced in 1982. This simple, uninteresting 1982 should be drunk up quickly as time is not on its side. Tasted 4 times since bottling with consistent notes.
About the Producer
Château Canon La Gaffelière is a well-regarded Premier Grand Cru Classé wine estate in the Saint-Émilion region of northeastern Bordeaux. The château is known for the elegance and finesse of its wines as much as it is for its owner: Count Stephan von Neipperg. The estate and château lies just south of Saint-Émilion town and was promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classé 2012. Canon La Gaffelière's 19.5-hectare (48-acre) vineyard is a mix of clay-limestone and clay-sand soils, with predominantly sandy topsoils. These characteristics are well-suited to the grape varieties planted here with the vineyards composed of 55 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. At harvest, the grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed without crushing, then fermented in temperature-controlled wooden vats. They are then aged in mostly new oak barrels for up to 20 months. The Canon La Gaffelière estate began as two separate holdings in the 19th Century: Canon Boitard and La Gaffelière Boitard. They were eventually combined, and then acquired by the Von Neipperg family in 1971. Current proprietor Count Stephan von Neipperg also owns La Mondotte, Clos de L'Oratoire and Château Peyreau in Saint-Émilion, plus a handful of other estates around Bordeaux.
1971(1)1981(1)
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