| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2015 Lafon-Rochet is gorgeous. Beautifully layered and polished in the glass, the 2015 oozes with pedigree. The flavors are bright and beautifully delineated throughout. Rose petal, mint, savory herb and bright, red-toned fruit add to the wine's vivid, nuanced personality. In 2015, Lafon-Roche is all class. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. This is a terrific showing from Basile Tesseron and consulting winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet. Drink 2020 - 2035.
The 2015 Lafon-Rochet has a lifted, perfumed bouquet of ample blackberry and raspberry aromas. The oak here is nearly entwined with graphite and cigar box aromas developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, quite filigreed tannin (for a Saint Estèphe) that frame a smooth, quite pure blackberry and strawberry finish with plenty of white pepper on the aftertaste. This is a fine Lafon-Rochet from Basile Tesseron and his team. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
Very perfumed with blackberries, blueberries and cloves. Dried lavender as well. Full body and linear and refined tannins. Pretty spices come together with the clean fruit at the end. Hard not to drink now but two or three years of bottle age will pull it together. Drink in 2020.
The medium garnet-purple colored 2015 Lafon-Rochet is reduced on the nose to begin, with tar and earth aromas over black fruits and herbs. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and refreshing with firm, grainy tannins. 2018 - 2032
Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Warm, biscuit nose. Charming but a little soft and with a lack of intensity. Not the most ambitious. First year of the new cellar.
Drink 2024-2038
Recent vintages here at this classed growth St Estephe have been amongst the best ever and now the latest generation of the family - Basile Tesseron - has become involved with the management. The new consultant is the legendary Jean-Claude Berrouet of Chateau Petrus - his first job on the left bank. This striking property with its yellow walls is just along the road from Cos d'Estournel and overlooks the vineyards of Lafite. En primeur prices remain reasonable. The 40 hectare vineyard is planted 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. They believe that this wine ressembles their 2010 but with riper tannins and a bit less density. Deep blueish-purple in colour with a nose of fresh blackcurrant, black pepper and cinnamon. The palate has a juicy core of blue and black fruits with structured, firm tannins providing a strong framework typical of St Estephe. Classic and Medocain with a savoury, pencil shaving finish.
A gem from Saint-Estèphe is the 2015 Château Lafon-Rochet and it’s certainly one of the top wines from this appellation in 2015. Elegant, medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and refined, it offers impressive notes of sweet dark fruits, crème de cassis, classy oak and a kiss of minerality. It’s the finesse and quality of tannin, as well as its solid mid-palate, that sets this beauty apart. This wine is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, and it’s hidden little gem worth tracking down! 2020 - 2035
The nose is fresh and firm and the start of the palate tight. The black fruits in the middle are sweet cassis and black cherry and although a fair weight of fruit at the back the finish lacks a bit of generosity.
Definitely among the best St. Estèphes in 2015, this is a classic expression of the appellation,
which shows no sign of rain-affected dilution at all. Rich tannins, plush, perfumed fruit and
refined, granular tannins. A triumph over the elements. Drink: 2022-32
Very smart balance and very good intensity make this one of the leading wines from the commune. It is a shade darker
than many of its counterparts and the earth and spice give it a lot more complexity than many of the other wines at this price point. The length is considerable and the silkiness of the tannins and pert acidity make it refreshing and super-long
on the finish. It will mature fairly early by comparison to the 2014, but hold for many years to come.
The 2015 Lafon-Rochet, which was bottled in May 2017, is a wine that has developed wonderfully in bottle. This was the first year under organic viticulture (although Basile mentioned that they would not necessarily ask for certification). Here, it has a well-defined bouquet, sultry black fruit at first but a few swirls and it becomes more expressive, with scents of damp earth and woodland complementing the aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a keen bead of acidity, very harmonious and elegant toward the sappy finish, a hint of black olive and seaweed on the aftertaste. This is an understated gem that should not be overlooked. Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2040.
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. Drink 2025-2050
A firm and silky red with blueberry and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Full to medium body, serious core of fruit for the vintage.
Racy and lively with stones and strong St-Estèphe signature. Dry finish. With lots of personality.
Drink 2023-2036
Particularly dark. Rather beguiling. Perhaps a bit more evolved than most but rewarding. Nice lift at the end. Very fruity/juicy.
Drink 2023-2037
