Château Lafon-Rochet 2016

Sensuality is the word that best characterizes this wine. Tannins of the utmost finesse, juiciness, fruitiness, length; a glorious wine that will be great fun at every stage of its life.

This is vivid, with a mix of steeped red and black currant coulis flavors streaming through, while ample savory, bay leaf, tobacco and warm stone notes course underneath. The elements meld wonderfully on the finish, revealing a tug of savory and earth at the very end. Best from 2023 through 2033. 8,333 cases made.

A St-Estèphe fourth growth with a bright future, Château Lafon-Rochet has been going through a quiet renaissance under the Tesseron family and, since 2021, the Lorenzetti family, which also owns Lilian Ladouys (St-Estèphe) and Pédesclaux (Pauillac 5GCC). The vineyard covers 45ha of gravel and clay, planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The 2016 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, vinified in both concrete and stainless steel vats, and aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 50% new. Georgie Hindle: Blackcurrant and plum, fleshy and focused. Less demonstrative than some, but has definition and persistence. Juicy strawberries, cranberries and raspberries, tannic but not too dry, with sweetly spiced oak on the finish. Vincenzo Arnese: Fresh and young. A bit shy, but the palate is rich with good intensity. A powerful style, showing good integration of oak and a pleasant finish. Robert Mathias MW: Spice, incense and nutmeg aromas. Dark cherry and cassis fruit is very focused. Gravelly mineral core and bright acidity. Real balance and tension here.

An explosion of all manner of black berries, with discreet, toasty and smoky oak, makes this a joyful St.-Estèphe. Then the great balance of ripeness, lively acidity and velvety tannins comes together beautifully at the elegant finish to make this the best wine from this producer in modern times. Needs two or three years to soften. Try in 2022.

A sleeper in this vintage, the 2016 Lafon-Rochet is positively stellar. Bright, translucent and super-expressive, the 2016 has so much to offer. Lavender, tobacco, cedar, mint and dried herbs give the 2016 striking aromatic top notes to play off the darker fruit flavors. The 2016 is pure class. Don’t miss it.

Cigar box, earth, cedar wood, spice and fresh red fruits really sing out here. Full-bodied and loaded with ripe, red pit fruits, the wine has length and character. Age this for 5–7 years and drink it over the next 2 decades or more. Produced from a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

Pure nose blending red and dark fruit with floral notes and aromatic herbs. Full-bodied yet polished in texture, with fresh red berry fruit, cassis, and discreet wood notes, leading to a long, pure, and layered finish.

Garnet with ruby highlights and a purple sheen. Complex bouquet with floral notes and wild strawberries, followed by red berry compote and walnut. On the juicy palate, with ripe, sweet extract and plenty of red cherry juice on the aftertaste – what elegance! Clearly trending toward a higher score. Bravo, Basile!

Kunz barrel sample 17: fresh, powerful bouquet, cherries, blackberries, subtle rubber note, tobacco, mocha. Balanced, powerful, velvety palate with dense fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a fine, creamy, muscular structure, dark, intense aromatics, and a long, aromatic finish.

Fresh, powerful bouquet of cherries, blackberries, subtle rubber note, tobacco, mocha. Balanced, powerful, velvety palate with dense fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a delicately creamy, muscular structure, intense dark aromatics, and a long, aromatic finish. 18/20 2024 - 2040

Excellent quality, this is one of the high points of the past few decades of Lafon Rochet, demonstrating the huge potential of the site. Fine but firm tannins, plenty of juice and lift, mandarin peel, graphite, cassis, blueberry purée, cassis and loganberry fruits. Bitter dark chocolate also with a tannic frame that hugs without constricting. Harvest September 29 to October 20. 40ha, deep gravels and clay, 30-year-old average vine age. Basile Tesseron owner at the time (now sold to Jacky Lorenzetti).

Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Lafon-Rochet requires a little swirling to bring out notes of Bing cherries, raspberry leaves, and fresh blackcurrants, plus hints of forest floor and sautéed herbs. The medium-bodied palate is filled with herb-laced red and black fruits, framed by chewy tannins and bright acidity, finishing with a lively lift.

Corpulent yet refined, with mineral, almost saline notes, leading into firm, judiciously extracted tannins—a wine of character and promise.

This 2016 displays a captivating suppleness and finesse on the palate. It is one of the estate’s most accomplished wines, advancing in precision and fruit brightness.

Smoky nose, dark fruits, blueberry. Fresh, lively palate, supple tannins, good chew.

The Lafon-Rochet vineyard covers 40 ha and the average vine age is 30 years. The terroir consists of deep gravel and gravel over clay. Harvest took place from October 7 to 20 for Cabernet Sauvignon and from October 1 to 14 for Merlot. Cabernet Franc was picked in a single day, on October 14, while Petit Verdot was harvested between October 14 and 20. In short, about 3 weeks of picking in an evidently serene atmosphere. Ageing lasted between 14 and 16 months in 50% new barrels made of French and Austrian oak. Garnet red with purple highlights. A filigreed, complex bouquet clearly marked by its terroir, with notes of cedar and graphite. The fruit emerges elegantly with hints of cherries and black berries. On the palate, the wine shows plenty of freshness. It is juicy, nicely intense and well supported by its structure. The tannins are compact and well integrated. A wine to follow over time. Persistent finish with notes of black berries. Fine-grained, powerful, compact tannins.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Very aromatic nose, refined and complex. Hints of ripe fruit and spices. Delicate on the attack, very aromatic mid-palate, caressing and flavorful; the wine stretches out long and complex in its flavors, becoming impossible to spit. Blend: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 14° – pH: 3.55.

Now producing impressive wines, this estate has made a firm, rich wine in this vintage. Its tannins are very present, but they have a velvet edge that is immediately attractive. Not that the wine won't age: its structure and good acidity will see to that. Drink from 2025.