Wine Advisor
Canon La Gaffeliere 1990
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This wine has always tasted superb. Still a dark purple/garnet color, it offers an exotic bouquet of roasted coffee, caramelized herbs, sweet cassis, blackberries, chocolate, and licorice. The explosive bouquet is followed by a low acid, full-bodied, chewy wine with sweet tannin and ripe, jammy fruit and glycerin. It hit its peak of maturity 4-5 years ago, but is holding nicely. Consume it over the next 5-6 years.Release price: ($375.00/case)
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The fabulous 1990 is a classically structured and balanced wine. The color is an impressive dark ruby/purple, and the bouquet, while reticent, offers up aromas of herbs, sweet black fruits, and smoky oak. In the mouth, there is thrilling density, a backward, deep, concentrated, well-structured feel, as well as plenty of length and extract. This is another great wine from this up-and-coming estate. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Both the 1989 and 1990 wines were consistent with past tastings. The 1990 is a deeper wine, with a saturated ruby/purple color exhibiting no amber. The wine offers up copious aromas of grilled meat, blackcurrants, cedar, and sweet oaky scents. Full-bodied, with moderate tannin, immense concentration, thickness, and richness, this low acid yet structured wine should reach full maturity by the end of the century, and drink well for 10-15 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the brilliant wines from Canon-la-Gaffeliere, the 1990 still has a dense ruby/purple color. The flamboyant aromatics offer up sweet toasty notes intermixed with fruitcake, cedar, creme de cassis, and roasted Provencal herbs ... an olfactory overload for sure. Full-bodied, with a tremendous opulence, and even an unctuosity, this thick, juicy, very succulent, low-acid Canon-la-Gaffeliere hides some elevated tannins because of the incredible wealth of glycerin and fruit. A terrific wine that is just hitting its plateau of drinkability. Anticipated maturity: Now-2013. Last tasted, 10/02.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In contrast to Canon-la-Gaffeliere's opulent, oaky, rich 1989 and voluptuous 1988, this is a more classically structured and balanced wine, with none of the excesses (as delicious as they are) of that vintage. The color is an impressive dark ruby/purple, and the bouquet, while reticent, offers up aromas of herbs, black fruits, and smoky oak. In the mouth, there is great density, a backward, deep, concentrated, well-structured feel, as well as plenty of length and extract. The 1990 is another impressive wine from this up and coming St.-Emilion star. Anticipated maturity: 1995-2010.
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)1982(1)
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