Chateau La Gaffeliere: The Timeless Heart of Saint-Emilion
At the foot of Saint-Emilion’s limestone plateau lies Chateau La Gaffeliere, one of Bordeaux’s most historic and consistently refined estates. With a lineage stretching back to the 11th century and continuous family ownership for over 300 years, it embodies the quiet confidence of a property that has mastered the art of elegance. Today, under the direction of Count Alexandre de Malet Roquefort, La Gaffeliere remains a benchmark for classical Saint-Emilion, combining heritage with precision and purity.
The estate sits in a privileged location between the great vineyards of Ausone and Angelus. Its 38 hectares of vines enjoy exceptional terroir, a mosaic of limestone, clay and warm south-facing slopes that capture both freshness and richness. This unique geology allows the estate to produce wines of balance and longevity, where the structure of Cabernet Franc meets the plush fruit of Merlot. The vineyards are planted predominantly to Merlot, supported by around 40 percent Cabernet Franc, which has become a signature of the house style.
Chateau La Gaffeliere’s history is woven into the very fabric of Saint-Emilion. The Malet Roquefort family traces its roots in the region to the 1400s, making it one of Bordeaux’s oldest wine dynasties. The name “Gaffeliere” derives from a medieval leper colony that once stood on the site, a reminder of the area’s deep historical layers. Over centuries, the family has remained devoted to expressing their land with authenticity, resisting trends and focusing instead on quiet evolution.
Modernisation at La Gaffeliere:
In recent decades, a new era has brought renewed energy to the estate. Count Alexandre has modernised both vineyard and cellar, working closely with consultant Stephane Derenoncourt to refine the expression of terroir. Vineyard work follows a sustainable, increasingly organic approach, with careful canopy management and minimal intervention. Yields are kept low to preserve concentration, and grapes are harvested parcel by parcel to ensure perfect ripeness.
In the cellar, La Gaffeliere blends modern precision with traditional craft. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, and ageing continues for 14 to 18 months in French oak barrels, roughly half of which are new each year. The result is a wine of seamless harmony, where ripe fruit, limestone freshness and fine-grained tannins coexist in perfect proportion. The best vintages display striking aromatic complexity, unfolding with notes of black cherry, plum, graphite, truffle and violet.
Critics often praise La Gaffeliere for its understated power. Unlike some of its flashier neighbours, it never chases excess. Instead, it offers a timeless reflection of Saint-Emilion’s limestone heart, a style defined by poise and finesse. The 2018 and 2019 vintages in particular have been hailed as some of the finest ever made, confirming the estate’s position among Bordeaux’s elite.
Chateau La Gaffeliere remains one of the few Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé estates still under original family ownership. It is a living link between past and present, where history, precision and terroir converge. Each bottle carries centuries of quiet dedication, expressing not only the greatness of its land but also the integrity of those who have cared for it across generations.
