Château Canon-La-Gaffelière Premier Grand Cru Classé | 2016 | 750 ml.

SP95+ Wine Spectator Web only – 2017

"This pulls a lot of red and black currant, fig and boysenberry pâte de fruit notes together, wraps them with a brambly thread and then drives them through an anise- and apple wood-edged finish. It’s all tightly wound, but it’s all there for the long haul. Really, really solid." (95–98 pts.)

WE95+ Wine Enthusiast 6/1/2017

"Dark and intense, this wine has immense fruit and equally immense tannins. It is powered by its firm structure and concentration. There are hints of firm extraction, although it does not detract from the bold fruits. It should age well for many years." (95–97 pts.)

JS95+ JamesSuckling.com Tuesday, April 4, 2017

"Lovely silky texture and dark fruit to this wine underlining richness and decadence. Medium to full body and a long finish." (95–96 pts.)

RP93+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 28th Apr 2017

"The 2016 Canon la Gaffeliere is a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (vines organically certified) picked from 26 September to 15 October and matured in 60% new oak. The yield is 42 hectoliters per hectare. This offers one of the most cerebral aromatics that I have encountered from this Saint Emilion estate: mineral-rich red and black fruit, quite edgy, almost flinty in style. I adore the focus of these aromas that are wired directly into the olfactory senses. The palate is very well balanced and governed by the Cabernet component. The black fruit is lifted by some lovely graphite notes that lend it a very Left Bank-like personality. It is fresh, taut and linear with a very persistent finish. Unlike other vintages of Canon la Gaffelière, I feel that this will require four to five years in bottle. As good as the 2015 last year, it might even surpass it." (93–95 pts.)

VN93+ Vinous Apr 2017

"The 2016 Canon La Gaffelière is a huge, voluptuous wine with no hard edges and exceptional balance. Often in the early going, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc elements are easily discernible, but in 2016 all the elements are wonderfully fused together. It will be interesting to see if this powerful wine finds a bit more finesse over time. The 2016 was even more impressive when I tasted separate components from barrel in January 2017. In 2016, the wine spent 30-32 days on the skins and will see approximately 60% new oak. Tasted three times." (93–96 pts.)