Porcini mushrooms, with dark and ripe fruits. Turns to licorice and violets. Full body, with round and soft tannins and a long delicious finish. The texture is gorgeous. So much going on in the glass.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon la Gaffeliere leaps from the glass with bold baked blackberries, plum preserves and blueberry compote notes with nuances of licorice, sweaty leather, tapenade and garrigue. It is quite mature and open in the medium-bodied mouth, with a firm, chewy frame and lively backbone, finishing with loads of savory/meaty layers.

One of the peculiarities of St.-Emilion's classification is the Canon la Gaffeliere is not classed in the top rung. Because, as this wine shows, it produces superb wine. This is ripe while so elegant, with great intensity and sweet perfumes.

This is well-cloaked for now in roasted vanilla and espresso notes, but there's ample, fleshy fig sauce and mulled blackberry fruit in reserve. The long finish sports a melted licorice snap feel. Dense, but beautifully polished and pure.