Silver vines signed Philippe Pasqua, archeo-touristic project based on a Gallo-Roman villa discovered on the estate, new vathouse in 2013, promotion of Château La Gaffelière among the Bordeaux merchants: all initiatives that mark the return to the forefront of a giant that had fallen asleep during the last twenty years. At the helm of the estate today, Alexandre de Malet Roquefort, the count’s son.
After being a trader, you decided to refocus on the family vineyards ...
Yes, I devote myself 100% to the Comte de Malet Roquefort Estates, including La Gaffeliere, First Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion, the historic property. We gradually expanded by buying Château Armens (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru), Château La Connivence (Pomerol) and Château Chapelle d'Aliénor (Bordeaux Supérieur) to open the range. Today, I manage 50 employees, 140 hectares of vineyards. And spend a lot of time abroad to help the merchants!
What have been the different stages to awake La Gaffelière?
In the 80s, my father did not succumb to the temptation of making concentrated, tight, tannic wines. In 82, in full effervescence, he even separated from the king of parkerized wines, Michel Rolland! La Gaffelière lived on its notoriety, far from the spotlight, without making any commercial effort, cultivating discretion. Since the 2000s, we began to restructure the vineyard with the help of Stéphane Derenoncourt, the Prince of Cabernet Franc, with the selective enhancement of its specific geology, since we have both blue clays on the hillsides and the famous Fronsac molasse. The vathouse was completely redesigned in 2013. More functional, it is equipped with 20 made-to-measure inverted frustoconical tanks allowing a very precise by-plot vinification. This new winemaking space is associated with other investments such as an optical sorting machine, cold room, vertical press ... La Gaffelière has become lace again, with a new 180°-turn in 2017, when we went to 45% Cabernet Franc against 30% before. Our biggest investment today is the selection. And wine merchants have been trusting us again for 5 years. We also invested in the reception, with a tasting room to welcome professionals and tourists.
What is the ambition, become A?
I would say why not, but the main issue for La Gaffelière is elsewhere ... Our greatest ambition is to preserve and develop, generation after generation, Château La Gaffelière. The purchase of vines is today a patrimonial investment. Our family and its chateau are among the oldest in Saint-Emilion and we intend to stay there! Moreover, the foundations of a Gallo-Roman villa of about ten rooms were discovered in 1969 which makes La Gaffelière date back over eighteen hundred years! Opening the visit of the villa to the public is part of our future projects.
Bénédicte Chapard
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