2022 Lafon Rochet
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Tasting Notes
Smooth and sleek, lovely silky fruitiness combined with quite fleshy, but powdery and juicy tannins giving a really delicate, almost light expression that has mineral markers and lots of life. Nice energy and unfussiness. Crisp and sharp but with depth too. Succulent and mouthwatering, clean and pure, with bite and lingering liquorice and minerality.
Critic Scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Rich in color, the wine is floral, with pepper, spice, tobacco leaf, currants, and blackberries. Medium-bodied, fresh, soft, ripe, round, and polished, with blackberries, black cherries, chocolate, spice, and cedar nuances. The fruits are fresh, bright, and creamy. Give this just a few years in the bottle and it promise to be even better! The wine was made from blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.77 pH. This is the first vintage with the new owner, Jackie Lorenzetti, and the team of Emmanuel Cruse, fully in charge.
One of the bigger, more structured wines in Saint-Estèphe, the 2022 Château Lafon-Rochet checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. Ripe blackcurrants, smoky blue fruits, scorched earth, and chocolate all define the aromatics, and this concentrated, medium to full-bodied, powerful wine has ample mid-palate depth, ripe yet significant tannins, and a great finish. It's not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, of cellaring. It's a beautiful wine though, worthy of purchasing and cellaring.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. First vintage for technical director Christophe Congé (ex Lafite). Cask sample. Dense and concentrated with dark-fruit and floral notes. Smooth attack then plenty of punch and drive, the tannins fine but present. Tighter tannic frame than in the past. More gravitas.
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About the producer
Instantly recognisable for its sunshine-yellow château and labels, Ch. Lafon-Rochet is a Fourth Growth Saint-Estèphe estate renowned for its age-worthy wines. Quality at the property has increased significantly over the last two decades and, with new owners from 2021, this will only continue.