Appellations

Lafon Rochet 2021

St Estephe, Fourth Growth

GBP Price: Size Quantities Units status Actions
Tasting Notes

Raspberry leaf and greenage on the opening beats, followed up by slate and saffran, with plenty of linear blueberry and raspberry fruit. The transition vintage in terms of ownership at Lafon, in a challenging year anyway, and with the best will in the world this is on the austere side of the vintage. 32hl/h yield, 70% 1st wine. 2nd year in official conversion to organic, wll be certified with 2023 vintage. Harvest 27 to October 8. 30hl/h yield, 50% new oak. Christophe Congé appointed technical director, arriving early 2022 just a few months after the Lorenzetti purchase, so overseeing the ageing.

Score: 89 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2038 Date: 02 April 2024

The 2021 Lafon-Rochet is very good, although there are some rustic contours that are impossible to look past. Dark fruit, spice, lavender and licorice are some of the notes that open in the glass. Overall, the 2021 feels a bit chunky, especially for a wine that tends to be more linear and medium-weight in build.

Score: 92 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2041 Date: 27 February 2024

The 2021 Lafon-Rochet bears all the traits of Pauillac on the nose, displaying potent graphite scents that would draw you "south of the border" from Saint-Estèphe. There’s mainly black fruit here, slightly earthy and maybe missing the vivacity of top recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It has gained a little more weight and cohesion since I tasted it from barrel, showing ample freshness with a tang of seaweed toward the finish. It is not a long-term Lafon-Rochet but it will give 15 years of pleasure, possibly more.

Score: 91 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2040 Date: 22 February 2024

Quite luscious and almost more luscious than the St-Estèphe norm. Although it finishes on a distinctly stony note. Set for the long term with no shortage of character or ripe fruit. Persistence is pretty impressive! This is almost a 17 though for the moment the finish is a little bit pinched.

Score: 16+ Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2029-2045 Date: 11 May 2022

A firm and linear wine with blackberry and blackcurrant character. Medium body. Creamy. Focused for the vintage. Turns to plums and citrus at the end. From organically grown grapes. 69% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Score: 92 - 93 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 01 May 2022

The last vintage produced under the Tesseron family, the 2021 Lafon-Rochet exhibits aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, lively and succulent palate that's fleshy and layered, framed by powdery tannins. A charming, supple effort, it will drink well on release.

Score: 89 - 91 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 29 April 2022

Tasted on numerous occasions, the 2021 Château Lafon-Rochet has solid, yet slightly reserved aromatics of darker, almost blue fruits and some classic tobacco and lead pencil. It opens up with air and is medium-bodied, with a classic, focused style (I said “Pauillac” in my notes), notable balance, and a great finish. The blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and a splash of Petit Verdot.

Score: 90 - 92 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 06 February 2022