| La Gaffelière 2004 • September 2005 | LA GAFFELIERE
1er Grand Cru Classé
2004 Vintage
History :
Count Malet Roquefort, the owner of Château La Gaffelière, which is located at the entrance to Saint Emilion, was born of a very ancient family, who had settled in Saint Emilion in the 17th century. The vines are grown on one of the most ancient parts of our jurisdiction dating back to the Gallo-Roman era.
The vineyard :
The vineyard covers an area of 22 hectares (54.34 acres). The vines have an average age of 35 years and are planted on clay-limestone soil ; half of them stretch over slopes and the other half at the foot of the slope. The grape varieties are 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The carefully controlled yield is no more than 40 hectolitres per hectare.
Vineyard management :
The vineyard is maintained traditionally, combining ploughing the soil in some places and natural grass-growing between the rows in others, according to the plots and exposure. The vines are pruned with the Double Guyot technique to give better exposure to sunshine and ventilation for the bunches. In June, leaf thinning is carried out to enhance the ripening process; and in July, in order to maximise the quality of the crop, the bunches are thinned out. For the harvest, which we do by hand, we delay the picking for as long as possible, taking into account the year’s climatic conditions.
Weather conditions and harvesting :
The 2004 vintage witnessed the return of more usual weather conditions in the Bordeaux vineyard. The temperatures were never extreme, whereas rainfall was regular and normal during the vine’s growing season. The ripening was therefore completed slowly and more evenly. The outstanding weather conditions towards the end of the summer enabled us to start the picking as late as September 29 and to continue as and when necessary until October 19.
Vinification and ageing :
The vinification took place under the supervision of Stéphane Derenoncourt. The method remains traditional. The extraction is effected through a series of pump overs and punching downs. The malo-lactic fermentation was carried out in new barrels and in vats. The wine is being aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months.
The proportion of second wine, Le Clos La Gaffelière, will be around 6%.
Tasting comments :
A lovely, dark colour. A well-defined nose, which displays very good ripe fruit. Overall, a good impression of red berry fruit, violets, mocha, blackcurrants, hints of roasted coffee beans… On the palate, the attack is fresh, and the structure, despite the concentration, has very velvety tannins. A lovely, long finish.
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