The Producer

.Few estates in Bordeaux can claim a history as layered and enduring as Château La Gaffelière. The land itself has been under cultivation since Gallo-Roman times, with archaeological evidence — including Roman mosaics unearthed in the vineyards — confirming viticultural activity stretching back nearly two millennia. During the medieval period, the site housed a leper colony, and it is from this chapter that the estate derives its evocative name: gaffet, the old French word for a leper's cane.The château as a winemaking estate began to take its modern form with the arrival of the Comte...

.Few estates in Bordeaux can claim a history as layered and enduring as Château La Gaffelière. The land itself has been under cultivation since Gallo-Roman times, with archaeological evidence — including Roman mosaics unearthed in the vineyards — confirming viticultural activity stretching back nearly two millennia. During the medieval period, the site housed a leper colony, and it is from this chapter that the estate derives its evocative name: gaffet, the old French word for a leper's cane.The château as a winemaking estate began to take its modern form with the arrival of the Comte de Malet-Roquefort in the 17th century, who established the distinctive Gothic-influenced architecture still visible today from the road leading into the village of Saint-Émilion. The family has maintained unbroken ownership since 1705 — an extraordinary continuity spanning over three centuries — making La Gaffelière one of the longest-standing family-owned estates in all of Bordeaux. The château building itself is a testament to that layered history: a 15th-century vaulted kitchen, 17th and 18th-century wings, and a 19th-century pigeon house that was converted into a pool house in the 20th century. It is, in every sense, a living archive of Right Bank wine culture. 02Terroir & Vineyard Château La Gaffelière occupies what the family describes as a "golden triangle" — a privileged site nestled between the celebrated slopes of Château Ausone to the north and Château Pavie to the east, at the southern entrance to the village of Saint-Émilion. This positioning is not incidental; it places La Gaffelière at the confluence of two of the appellation's most important terroir expressions. The 22 hectares of classified vines sit primarily on clay-limestone soils on the côte (slopes) of the plateau, with some parcels extending onto the limestone plateau itself. These soils provide natural drainage, controlled water stress, and excellent mineral expression — qualities that have been recognised since antiquity. The south-facing aspect ensures generous sun exposure, while the more continental microclimate of Saint-Émilion, distinct from the Médoc's maritime influence, promotes slow, even ripening. The vineyard is planted to approximately 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc, planted on the cooler limestone plateau parcels, contributes the estate's characteristic aromatic lift and structural precision — a counterpoint to the Merlot's natural generosity and roundness.

The Region

Bordeaux