Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere 2000

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Performing as I expected, but still several years away from full maturity, this extraordinarily flamboyant, full-bodied, opulent, sexy St. Emilion stood out for its backward structure and youthful personality. A dark plum/garnet hue is followed by a superb bouquet of roasted coffee, kirsch, blackberries, licorice, herbs, and forest floor. Full-bodied, dense, rich, and pure, it is a total hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on. Enjoy it over the next decade."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Soft, silky, smooth and complex, with its ripe, fresh, sweet, plums and cherry notes coupled with licorice, truffle and hints of flowers. This is ready to drink, yet there is no rush to pop a cork. Drink now, or wait a while, either way, you'll be happy."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This is the flagship wine from the mini-empire (now comprising five properties) that is controlled by Comte Stephan von Niepperg. He has made a modern, wood dominated wine, with rich, concentrated black fruits. It is powerful, perhaps too powerful, lacking a sense of the usual grace of this estate, although the ripeness of the wine does compensate."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Some brightness in the ruby. Quite a youthful, 'pointed', sharp nose without much development yet. Rich and sweet and with more than a hint of dark chocolate, this leaps up and down for attention. The acid and tannin are still a little jagged, in modern idiom. Very savoury finish. Firm and still on the way up."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This has nice vibrancy still, with redder notes of raspberry, cherry and red currant stretching out over cocoa-dusted structure, while warm fruitcake and licorice flavors underline the finish. Not quite as dense as the top examples, but pretty tasty.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2020. 5,415 cases made. — JM"