The 2017 La Gaffeliere is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant scents of kirsch, black raspberries and warm plums plus suggestions of unsmoked cigars, rosehip tea and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastic elegance and sophistication, with tons of bright, perfumed fruit and exquisitely ripe tannins, finishing with bags of freshness and energy. Since the lower-lying sections of La Gaffeliere were affected by frost this year, this wine mainly comes from the section up on the Saint-Émilion plateau, near Ausone. Truly impressive!- LPB

This vintage was a real success at La Gaffelière, in what was a challenging vintage for some, and continues to be a joyful surprise as it approaches nine years old. Dried roses, tobacco leaf, graphite, chalky fine tannins, liquorice root, gunsmoke, delicate redcurrant and blueberry fruits, lusciously drinkable. In its drinking window, with the finesse and precision underlined right now - the score reflects this, but I would not suggest holding it for as long as the 2015 or 2016. Cabernet Franc is around 40% of the blend, the highest since 1961. Franck Darricau winemaker, Stéphane Derenoncourt consultant, Alexandre de Malet Roquefort owner. 50% new oak for ageing.

This wine has good structure, delicious black-currant fruits and powerful tannins. Its dry core will drive this wine forward as it matures. The aftertaste brings out the fruitiness of the vintage. Drink from 2024. - ROGER VOSS

Richly layered, clearly one of the best in this flight, with mouth-watering minerality (for me, that quality always come across as texture not taste). This is an excellent wine, intense in the way that not many are in 2017. Austere but ready to grow, it has bedded down and improved over ageing. An unusual blend because of the frost, but one that they are going to stick to over the long term.

Floral and elegant from the start, with lilac and violet notes streaming forth, followed by cassis, cherry puree and raspberry reduction flavors. A lovely snap of anise and a subtle apple wood accent help to frame the finish, which shows good latent energy. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038. — JM

You'll find the stony nature in the wine before moving to the lush, ripe, dark red fruits, licorice and espresso notes. Full bodied and lush, this is tasty now and it is going to be more tasty with six to eight years of bottle age.