The 1998 vintage in Saint-Émilion
Vintage benchmark: 96/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)
Vintage character: The August heatwave ripened the merlots ahead of the rains: the great Pomerol vintage, rich, velvety and of exceptional ageing potential.
Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.
Tasting
This is very fresh and multidimensional on the nose and palate. Aromas of blackberry, grilled meat and fresh mushrooms follow through to a full mouth, and silky tannins and a note of chocolate, berry and meaty finish. Luscious and opulent. Tight and beautiful.
The vintage
Harvest from 27 September to 5 October 1998. Château-bottled in May 2000.
Blend of the 1998 vintage
- 50 % Merlot
- 45 % Cabernet franc
- 5 % Cabernet-sauvignon
Shares for this vintage, as recorded on the 1998 technical sheet. The vineyard itself is planted with 50 % merlot, 40 % cabernet franc, 10 % cabernet sauvignon — a vintage blend departs from the area under vine as the year dictates.
Figures from the 1998 sheet
- 13.5 % vol.Alcohol
- 24 hl/haYield
- 45 yrsVine age
Label
Winemaking
In wooden vats for 25 days. Extraction by pneumatic pigeage (punching down the cap)
Ageing
In new oak barrels (90%) on the lees for 18 months. No fining or filtering
Terroir
Château Canon La Gaffelière stands at the gates of the medieval village of Saint-Emilion, at the foot of the slope. The vineyard lies on the south-facing side of the hillside. Over an area of 19.5 hectares, clay-limestone and clay-sandy soils make up a complex yet exceptional terroir. At the surface, sand becomes more and more dominant the further one moves from the foot of the slope. Because of the nature of the soils, the grape variety balance is nearly even, which is quite atypical. It is split between 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
An offer on Château Canon La Gaffelière 1998
Availability, allocations and terms: the Compagnie Médocaine will reply promptly. The estate and vintage are already filled in in the message.
Texts and documents 1998
The texts below copy in one click for your product sheets, catalogues and social channels. The printable sheet condenses the whole page onto a single A4 page.
Visuals
This wine’s visuals are grouped in the media library. High-definition packshots, labels, back labels and lifestyle photos are reserved for clients and partners, on the Compagnie Médocaine’s VinCod media library.