Saint Emilion

This is the second wine of La Gaffelière.  It is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.  Dark purple in color.  The nose has nice plums, black cherries and spice.  On the palate, this has nice plums, some cherries with an earthiness underneath.  This is drinking well now.  It won't get better but should make excellent drinking for the next ten to twelve years. It should go well with roasted fowl or lighter dishes as well as on its own.  

Pleased to see the heavy use of oak is much less than it used to be.  There is still some present but not as much as I remember.  This is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is dusty with plums.  Also some cherries and a bit of char.  On the palate, this is easy drinking.  Black cherry fruit with some cherries.  A note of black olives/oak underneath.  Medium bodied.  Nice finish.  This needs a few years to sort itself out and should drink well for ten more.  It drinks well on its own but would go better with roas

Another wine that has been consistently over performing expectations for a while now.  In a group blind tasting, this finished first, and although I did not have it that high, it is a great wine that will age well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, mint and slight bell pepper (just a hint).  Medium bodied with medium weight tannins.  This has ripe/sweet fruit on the palate.  Cherries and black cherries.  A more moderate finish.  This continued to improve in the glass all evening.  It is drinking well on its own but would be better with some

This is a blend of 85% Merlot.

A blend of  70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black cherries with slight dill.  On the palate, this has a pretty, soft texture.  Black cherries with slight black olives.  A slight complexity.  Light tannins.  This is open and drinking well.  Very up front fruit.  Moderate finish.  This seems to be about as good a it will get.  It should be at this level for five to ten more years.  It will go well with roasted fowl and drinks easy on its own.  

This was opened and poured and enjoyed over six hours.  It is still young and really hit its stride after around four hours though the last glass was the best.  A wonderfully delicious wine.  Deep purple in color; shiny, bright and opaque.  The nose is great with black cherries, dark chocolate, slight soy, plum and char.  On the palate, this still has firm tannins though they are not overwhelming.  Lots of black cherry fruit with some underlying gravel and also some chocolate.  This is not a baby at age 15, but still needs about ten years until peak.  The finish is long, smooth and has a ni

This was a new wine for me to try.  Of all places, I had it tailgating at the Jets vs. Browns Monday Night game in NY (NJ).  Deep ruby in color, a bit lighter at the rim.  The nose is nice with cherries and slight dusty cigar box notes.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Medium bodied.  Plenty of cherry fruit with some underlying crushed leaves.  Some depth and complexity.  Good finish.  This works well with a wide variety of foods.  It seems at or at least close to peak.  It should have another five to seven years at this level.  

This is from the younger wines at Chateau Pavie (under 10 years old).  It is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries with a bit of cigar box.  On the palate, this is drinking well now.  Nice cherry fruit with a bit of cocoa and slight tobacco.  Not a lot of concentration or complexity but it is tasty.  Good acidity.  It seems as though this will be as good as this gets and thought it should do another five to ten years, the safer bet is to drink it now.  It will go well with stews and medium weight foods.  

This wine showed quite well considering the vintage and pedigree and age of the wine.  Ruby in color, purple at its core, clear and bright.  The nose has dried cherries, slight dust, a bit of mint.  With air, some fresh cherries.  On the palate, fresh and dried cherries above a baseline of tea leaves.  Medium bodied.  A bit of drying tannins underneath.  Nice finish.  This is very food friendly and easy to drink.  Probably a bit past prime but still enjoyable.  Drink up now.  

Stunning showing for this wine.  Its about 50/50 Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  Still youthful and might indeed improve a bit more.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is complex and enticing with black raspberries, dust, cherries and a slight cocoa note.  With air, a bit of char comes out.  On the palate, this has a "jelly-like" texture which is great.  Lots of black cherry fruit over and char and slight tobacco base.  Tightly layered, the layers unwind nicely in the glass.  It might improve more over the next five years, but should easily be at this level for ten to fifteen years mo