| La Gaffelière 2006 • July 2007 | LA GAFFELIERE
1st Great Classified Growth
2006 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 covers an area of 22 hectares (54.34 acres). The vines have an average age of 36 years and are planted on clay-limestone soil; half of them stretch over slopes and the other half over the plain. The grape varieties are 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The yield is no more than 40 hectolitres per hectare.
Vineyard management:
The vines are pruned with the Double Guyot technique to provide better exposure to sunshine and ventilation for the bunches. 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. We also practise a mechanical weeding (50% of the vineyard in 2006, which will increase to 100% by 2008) in order to manage the vines and their environment with greater care and respect and with the aim of enhancing quality.
In June, leaf thinning is carried out to optimise 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:
After a cold, dry winter, the flowering took place at the beginning of June in fine weather conditions. The beginning of summer was very hot and stormy and was followed by cool weather during August with temperatures well below the seasonal average. As for the month of September, new records were set with the hottest and rainiest September of the last fifty years. These conditions enabled the grapes to reach good ripeness levels but, inevitably, precautionary sorting was done on the vines and in the cellar. The picking stretched over the period of September 21 to October 3.
Vinification and ageing:
The vinification took place under the supervision of Stéphane Derenoncourt. The wine-making methods are both modern and traditional with a gentle extraction carried out through pumping over and punching down. The malo-lactic fermentation was carried out in new barrels and in stainless steel vats. The wine is being aged in barrels for 14 to 16 months.
The proportion of the crop going into the second wine LE CLOS LA GAFFELIERE will be around 10%.
Tasting comments:
A dark red colour with a light purple rim. Complex on the nose with hints of blackberries, blackcurrants and liquorice, supported by a touch of mocha. Harmonious and elegant on the palate throughout, underpinned by a dense and long tannic structure and a chalky finish.
Contact
Château La Gaffelière – 33330 Saint-Emilion
Tel: +33 (0) 557 247 215 – Fax: +33 (0) 557 246 906
E-mail: chateau-la-gaffeliere@chateau-la-gaffeliere.com | |
|
Mirrors 
Previous
page
