CHÂTEAU CANON LA GAFFELIÈRE
2020 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Market Insight: If you liked the Comtes style and the more hedonistic side of St Emilion, then this is a must buy. It's not in any way lacking poise, but very much erring on the blueberry/dark chocolate spectrum - a good proposition for En Primeur purchasing as comparable mature vintages are nearly twice the price.L&S (May 2021)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Such clarity to this with redcurrants, stems, fresh herbs, blackcurrants, and cherries on the nose. Medium to full body. Very tight, fine tannins. It builds nicely and has excellent length. Class and reality here. Needs three to five years. Rating: 96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
The 2020 Canon La Gaffelière is heady, sumptuous and totally exotic. A wine of depth and striking intensity, the 2020 possesses tremendous balance right out of the gate. Ripe red plum, blood orange, pomegranate, spice and leather all meld together effortlessly. There's real presence and depth here. Time in the glass brings out the purity of the flavors. The blend is 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. I can't wait to see how this ages Drinking range: 2030 - 2050 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Canon-la-Gaffelière has a vibrant and energetic bouquet driven by the 30% Cabernet Franc (from a massale selection) and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This gives it a Left Bank slant in a positive sense, lending dimension. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, focused and saline, with a definite marine influence, undercurrents of brine and a touch of black olive compote. Beautifully composed on the finish, this is a delicious Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
Ripe, fresh and expressive, with beautiful mulberry, boysenberry and blackberry puree notes that work well with light sanguine, black tea and singed apple wood details throughout. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2029 through 2040. —J.M. Drinking range: 2029 - 2040 Rating: 95 The Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com (Dec 2022)
I sometimes find Canon-La-Gaffelière a little too oaky and also a little too tannic in its youth but this 2020 is perfectly balanced and while the percentage of new oak remains the same, the alcohol in this vintage is lower than normal and the concentration of the fruit flavours is deliciously heightened. This is a stunning wine with a very attractive perfume and a complex palate and it is finishes with a discreet, minty flourish that freshens the tannins and lifts back end of this wine making it all the more enticing. Rating: 18+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Canon La Gaffelière is a strict, severe wine, almost unnaturally so. At this stage, the 2020 is all acid and tannin, and yet behind that lies a vibrant core of fruit. The big Franc aromatics, often such a signature, are nowhere to be found. Inky red berry fruit, blood orange, spice and star anise emerge with a bit of coaxing, all framed by a spine of serious tannins that are at once incisive and well-balanced. Readers should plan on being patient, as the 2020 is going to need years to come around. Despite its reticence, the 2020 appears to have significant potential down the line. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 94-96+ Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)
The 2020 Canon-la-Gaffelière is beautifully defined on the nose, featuring lavish black cherries, boysenberry, tobacco and cracked black pepper aromas. This is endowed with impressive precision and the oak is very well integrated. The medium-bodied palate delivers sappy black fruit, fine balance and poise and a lightly spiced, edgy, almost citrus-like finish. Packed to the rafters with vim and vigor, this is a superb Saint-Émilion. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)
Lots of blue fruits, leafy herbs, chocolate, and earthy goodness emerge from the 2020 Château Canon-La-Gaffeliere, a medium to full-bodied, dense, focused, elegant Saint-Emilion that needs plenty of air to show at its best. The purity of fruit is remarkable, and while it starts out tight and focused, it blossoms with air, showing a more expansive, layered, rich yet still fresh texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s a thrilling Saint-Emilion readers should snatch up. Rating: 95-97 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)
Concentrated and intense, with juicy liquorice and blackberry flavours dominant on the attack. This is an excellent wine showing beautiful tension with slate and crushed stone texture. Chocolate shavings, bitter and intense, give a kick on the finish. Even better after 24 hours of opening, which is an extremely good sign for an en primeur sample. A yield of 32.5hl/ha. 50% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)
Very refined and polished with minerally, almost salty character. Full body and beautiful, compact tannins. Racy finish. Excellent drive to this at the end. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2021)
55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Almost earthy, vineyard-fresh feel to the nose and palate. Flows gently, building discreetly to a persistent finish. Attractive fruit and fine-grained tannins. Ageing potential. Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 17 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)
Château Canon La Gaffelière
Château Canon La Gaffelière started out life with two seperate names. It was known as Canon Boitard and La Gaffelière-Boitard in the 19th century. Skipping ahead to modern history, in 1969, Count Joseph-Hubert von Neipperg purchased the Bordeaux wine estate in 1971. The von Neipperg family remain the owners today. Stephan von Neipperg manages the property as well as several other St. Emilion estates owned by the family. The Bordeaux wine property is located south of the St. Emilion village. It’s not far from La Gaffeliere. The terroir is sand and clay. The sandy topsoil adds more sand when you travel further from the slopes. The slope soil has a large concentration of clay. There is also a thick vein of clay in the subsoil, at a depth of between 70 and 150 cm.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.