Château La Gaffelière is a cornerstone of Saint-Émilion’s limestone slope — a Premier Grand Cru Classé estate where lineage, terroir, and clarity of expression converge. The property has been in the hands of the Malet-Roquefort family for over three centuries, making it one of the region’s oldest continuously owned vineyards. This continuity lends the wine its character: classic, composed, and deeply rooted in the identity of the appellation’s southern hillside, where limestone and clay produce some of Bordeaux’s most refined and age-worthy wines.

The vineyard spans 22 hectares, ideally positioned between Ausone and Pavie on the Côte des Malets. The soils are a mosaic of limestone a plateau and deep clay on slopes, with a vine mix dominated by Merlot, balanced by a substantial portion of Cabernet Franc. Farming is done with precision and increasing ecological sensitivity, including the use of cover crops, minimal synthetic inputs, and careful soil management. Vinification takes place parcel by parcel in a modern gravity-flow winery, designed to honor the unique energy of each plot. Ageing occurs in French oak barrels, with around 50% new wood — integrated, never excessive.

La Gaffelière’s wine is an elegant synthesis of Saint-Émilion’s two voices — the structure and minerality of the plateau, and the richness and volume of the slope. Merlot contributes black cherry, plum, and warm spice, while Cabernet Franc layers in freshness, graphite, and floral lift. The tannins are fine and elongated, supporting a wine that is full of tension, but never hard. With age, it reveals deeper notes of truffle, forest floor, and chalky finesse, all carried by a line of vibrant acidity and precision.

What defines Château La Gaffelière is its blend of heritage and vision. Alexandre de Malet-Roquefort has overseen a quiet renaissance at the estate — a refinement of farming, winemaking, and architectural design that honors history while leaning into the future. There is no excess here, no attempt to impress with volume or force — only a commitment to place and to purity.

Château La Gaffelière is for those who seek Saint-Émilion with grace and gravitas — a wine that speaks not in grandeur, but in refinement. A château of deep roots and measured voice, offering vintages that age with dignity and illuminate the elegance of limestone and time.