Château Gaby 'Princess Gaby' Canon Fronsac 2017

Château Gaby’s Princess Gaby 2017 is a Canon-Fronsac AOC produced from 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc – sister wine, Château Gaby, also a Canon Fronsac but with a slightly different percentage of the same grapes. Princess Gaby is also organic and elegant but because the aspect and the soils in its vineyards are different (clay and sand compared to Gaby’s clay and limestone), the wine is lighter in style. Previously known as Chateau Les Roches Gaby, Princess Gaby is a very fruity Canon-Fronsac, its aromas demonstrating fruits such as damsons, plums, raspberries and blackcurrants. On the palate the fruit intensity is very high and the spices from the oak ageing subtler. The wine is aged in used oak barrels so the oak effects are not too strong. The wine is really mouth-filling, easy to drink and smooth.

Several years ago I came to know, via a then colleague, the Gaby wines and the previous Château owner, David Curl. David owned this and Château Moya in nearby Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux also available from Wines With Attitude^®. I was lucky enough to visit Château Gaby with its renowned river view and to meet the winemaker for both Châteaux, the amiable Damien Landouar. Since that visit Gaby and Moya have seen investment from new owner, Tom Sullivan whom I met in 2019 and will see further investment due to a fire at the chateau in 2022 which thankfully missed the winery. Damian remains the wine maker which is great news for both châteaux and for the other châteaux in the Vignoble Sullivan group. Both chateaux are now fully organic, certified from 2018, and have been using organic practices for many years before that.