Appellations

Lafon Rochet 2015

St Estephe, Fourth Growth

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Tasting Notes

Owned by the Tesseron family, Lafon Rochet has been Basile Tesseron has been at the helm since 2007 with his eyes firmly on quality and understanding the terroir. Jean-Claude Berrouet, the world-renowned winemaker of Chateau Petrus for over forty years, has been consultant winemaker here since 2012, bringing extra precision to the blending process. Attractive with good lift and blue fruit on the nose. Fleshy with nice concentration and soft tannins. Quite impressive.

Score: 91 - 93 Albany Vintners, - Date: 27 April 2016

The 2015 Lafon Rochet is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, picked between 25 September and 9 October. Matured in 40% to 50% new oak from eight coopers including Stockinger since last year, it has a dense blackberry and boysenberry scented bouquet that is a little more voluptuous than its peers. The palate is again quite dense with "stocky" tannin, obdurate and a little hard at the moment, structured and clearly a Lafon-Rochet that is built for the long-term. It will need several years to just lose its brutishness.

Score: 90 - 92 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2050 Date: 01 April 2016

Fresh and direct, featuring a ripe beam of kirsch and black cherry fruit augmented by lilac and iron notes. Balanced, with a gentle structure.

Score: 87 - 90 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Date: 01 April 2016

One of the potential sleepers of the vintage, Basil Tesseron's 2015 Lafon-Rochet is a total knock-out. Explosive, deep and powerful, the 2015 possesses remarkable richness and intensity. A host of black cherry, smoke, gravel, menthol, tar and licorice notes abound. I tasted the 2015 four times over two weeks. During that time, the wine seemed to acquire more and more freshness as well as finesse. There is little question Lafon-Rochet is one of the stars of Saint-Estèphe in 2015. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Jean-Claude Berrouet consults.

Score: 92 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Date: 01 April 2016

A firm and silky red with blueberry and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Full to medium body, serious core of fruit for the vintage.

Score: 91 - 92 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 01 April 2016

Particularly dark. Rather beguiling. Perhaps a bit more evolved than most but rewarding. Nice lift at the end. Very fruity/juicy. (16.5+ Points)

Score: 16 - 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2023-2037 Date: 01 April 2016