Château Lafon-Rochet 2020

Somewhat closed, yet pleasantly fruity on the nose; on the palate, straightforward and juicy, with supple tannins—appealing and already quite easy to drink.

Plump and open, with a burst of loganberry and mulberry fruit backed by light tobacco, warm earth and savory notes. Shows a savory edge, which moves to the lead on the finish. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. 2,000 cases made.

Crafted by former owner Basile Tesseron, the wine has a pleasingly silky, polished and smooth aspect, reflecting irresistible Cabernet-driven graphite and bright red and black fruit. Sheer pleasure! What I like most is the ripe polish without the modern gloss. Enjoy with baked aubergine or roast chicken.

Subtle dried spices and berries with chocolate undertones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a savory finish. Fresh and bright. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better in a year or two and onwards.

Full bottle an admirably light 1,290 g. Cask sample taken 6 April. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Deep lustrous purplish crimson. Interesting vitality to the nose, almost as though biodynamic techniques were employed here. Lovely balance of ripeness and vitality. This is a very successful 2020. It may be dismissed by some because the tannins are not obvious but it's a delightful drink – already! Very distinctive. Perhaps not for seriously long-term cellaring but well done Basile Tesseron for producing something so appetising and groundbreaking. The finish is impressively persistent. (JR)

The 2020 Lafon-Rochet represents the essence of classicism in Bordeaux. Medium in body and finely cut, Lafon-Rochet is one of the classiest, more refined Saint-Estèphes readers will come across. Dark fruit, earthiness, lavender, licorice, menthol and cloves add nuance, but it is the wine's balance and vibrancy that impress most. Give the tannins a few years to melt away. Superb.

Flowers, cigar wrapper, wet earth, smoke, chocolate, blackberries and red pit fruits open the nose. But it is on the palate where the wine really shines with all of its layers of full-bodied, concentrated, long, dark, round, energetic, creamy, plush, ripe fruits. The finish is long, clean and vibrant with a creamy-textured endnote that will be even better once the minor amount of remaining oak has fully integrated. This is the final vintage from the Tesseron family who brought in the harvest and vinified the wine. The new owner, Jacky Lorenzetti, along with Emmanuel Cruse, finished the wine. Starting with the 2021 vintage, the new owners were fully in charge. Drink from 2024–2045.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, opaque core, gentle brightening at the rim. Floral notes with violets and rose petals, ripe plums, some nougat and orange peel. Juicy blackberries, fine acidity, integrated tannins, a touch of fine chocolate on the finish, mineral and salty, long-lasting, good ageing potential.

Deep purple with an opaque core and a delicate lilac rim. Densely interwoven bouquet with black-berry contours, olive paste and Brazilian tobacco, backed by dark graphite and light fine wood. On the delicate palate with a soft texture, finely grained extract, medium body and a tightly knit tannin framework. In the compressed finish, delicate stony-kern notes and green walnut shell emerge, ending with crumbly, rounded astringency.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: a velvety, dark, fruity bouquet with blackberry, black pepper, licorice and black truffle. A velvety, powerful palate with dark fruit, fine tannins, a powerful, finely muscular structure, intense dark aromatics, and a long, dense, full finish.

Silky, dark, fruity bouquet with blackberry, black pepper, licorice, black truffle. A silky, powerful palate with dark fruit, fine tannins, a powerful, finely muscular structure, dark, intense aromatics, and a long, dense, full finish. 18/20 2026 - 2045

Beautifully dark damson plum in colour, some austerity evident on the tannins, focus on raspberry leaf, pyrazine tomato leaf that gives lift with eucalyptus and mint freshness. Good quality firm tannins, lacks generosity right now, but this is an excellent quality wine with great potential for ageing. The last full year under the Tesseron family, before selling to Jacky Lorenzetti in 2021. Jean-Claude Berrouet and Eric Boissenot consultants.

Lafon-Rochet 2020 has a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls to offer notes of baked plums and stewed black cherries, leading to wafts of cassis, cedar, and cinnamon toast. The medium-bodied palate is bright and soft, with a lively backbone and spicy lift on the finish.

The wine is fairly fluid, with a palate built on a certain elegance and softness, but it lacks a bit of muscle mid-palate. It has a certain finesse and an approachable side that should make it accessible fairly quickly.

A lively, shimmering nose brimming with charm, offering aromas of sandalwood and small black berries, yet retaining lovely freshness; a palate balanced on red fruit with a delicious texture, poised between intensity and delicacy; sappy notes and dark chocolate; and, finally, silky tannins that make it irresistible.

More than ever, and this will be even clearer in 2022, the main focus comes down to freshness. The year was warm and, above all, very dry. It was therefore necessary to work with even greater precision and relevance, for example in canopy management. The wine boasts beautiful energy. It has drive and tight, yet perfectly integrated tannins. This energy is roaming, omnipresent and impactful. Very clearly, 2020 shows unexpected freshness and power. A young, flavorful and powerful wine. It will reward patience.

The nose is elegant, racy, and offers power, finely tuned concentration, harmony, and a certain density/darkness, yet all with finesse. It reveals notes of wild raspberry and wild blackberry, and more subtly sweet spices, combined with hints of nutmeg, crushed strawberry, ripe cherry/bigarreau cherry, as well as touches of grey pepper, nutmeg, delicate hints of incense, Sichuan pepper, and a discreet touch of vanilla. The palate is fruity and broad, offering juiciness, freshness, minerality, a certain gourmandise, a tangy backbone, a touch of tension, judiciously managed richness, roundness, and a certain purity of fruit. On the palate, this wine shows notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, crushed raspberry and, more subtly, pulpy/juicy wild strawberry, combined with touches of brilliant blue plum, lilac, cornflower, star anise, as well as hints of cardamom, chocolate, toasted notes, a subtle touch of vanilla, and an imperceptible hint of tea (in the background). The tannins are precise and supple. Good length.

Showing the pretty, elegant style of the vintage, the 2020 Château Lafon-Rochet exhibits a ruby/purple hue along with a perfumed bouquet of ripe black cherries, spring flowers, graphite, and violets. Medium-bodied and elegant, with firm tannins, it needs 4–6 years of bottle age and should evolve for two decades in cold cellars.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Richly structured, powered by dark tannins and rich blackberry fruits, this estate has produced a very fine wine this vintage. The structure is considerable while keeping fruitiness and fine acidity in focus. The wine will certainly age well.