2012 Château Canon-La-Gaffeliere

Château Canon La Gaffeliere is a 48.2-acre Grand Cru estate in the St.-Emilion appellation of Bordeaux. It is one of six French wine estates owned by Vignobles Comtes von Neipperg, a family of German aristocrats who were military leaders and winemakers in Germany as early as the 12th century. In the 1971 the family acquired four estates in St.-Emilion, and in 1983 Canon La Gaffeliere was put in the hands of one of the sons, Stephan von Neipperg, who today still runs the estate. Vineyards are planted to 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. About 60,000 bottles are produced annually. The second wine is Cote Migon la Gaffeliere. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “this is another superb St.-Emilion estate run with considerable passion, vision and commitment by Stephan von Neipperg. Since 1988, this has been one of St.-Emilion’s star performers…”

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.