WineLovers Discussion Group

TN: Canon La Gaffeliere 2001 13.5% alcohol (St. Emilion--mainly merlot and cab franc, and a little cabernet sauvignon)
Color is still rich a purple and the wine shows a lot of legs in the glass. Intoxicating nose of dark berries, cocoa, mushroom/loam.

Velvety rich mouthfeel, really a joy to drink; if anything this is still too young (so don’t believe write-ups on web). Cigar box, maybe a little plum with the dark berries; long finish, in which the resolved tannins combine elegantly with the mushroom, a hint of green tea showing through at the end.

The most striking thing is the almost perfect balance among the flavors. The mushroom, the hints of chocolate, the berries combine harmoniously in just the right proportions to offset the wine’s slightly weighty character that might give some Bordeaux traditionalists pause.

I first had this at Ryan M’s going away. Mike H was kind enough to bring the 2000, and it rekindled my interest in Bordeaux (the flames of which last summer's Mocool only further fanned).

Thanks for posting Josh! The 2003 (forgive me for correcting you) that Mike brought certainly caught my attention, as it is one of the handful of examples of 2003 Bdx done perfectly. And from your note, I'm quite encouraged to see that the balance and depth the 2003 offered wasn't a fluke. Puts Canon la Gaffeliere even higher on my radar. And I noted that it was recently elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classe B. Well deserved it seems. The 2003 is on my "to get" list. And might have to check out the 2001 as well!

And BTW, I am proud to be able to say that as of yesterday, with grades submitted, I have survived my first semester as faculty! But next semester is going to be a bear . . . .

Congratulations, Ryan,

On successfully finishing your semester and thanks for the correction. As to your next still, more bearish one, as others have noted, you will just have to join us at the next Mocool, so you can unwind.

Best,
Josh