4th Classified Growth in 1855
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It is impossible to miss the yellow color of Château Lafon-Rochet which borders the Saint-Estèphe appellation. It is a vineyard which will be born in the XVIIth century, and it is Etienne de Lafon, adviser to the parliament of Bordeaux, who will give him his name. He received it by marriage with Antoinette de Guillemotes, then owner of Domaine de Rochet. The Lafons will keep more than two centuries Lafon-Rochet, including after the French Revolution.
The Château Lafon-Rochet will be named Fourth Grand Cru Classé in 1855 at the time of the famous classification of wines of Bordeaux for the Paris World Fair.
It was owned by the Tesseron family for 60 years, with Basile Tersseron being the third and last generation. The Domaine passes at the end of 2021 into the hands of Jacky Lorenzetti, founder of the Foncia group.
The vineyard, located on dry and deep gravel soils as well as clayey gravel, today reaches an area of 39 hectares of vines, planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wines are aged for 15 months in oak barrels, 45% of which are new wood.
A Second wine is produced by the property, the Pilgrims of Lafon-Rochet.
The wines of Château Lafon-Rochet are a reference of the Great Wines of Saint-Estèphe, silky, ample and elegantly constructed.
2016 was a very good wine year in Bordeaux. The spring was initially mild and sunny, and following a homogeneous flowering in June thanks to very good sunshine conditions, the summer was hot and dry. All this offered the vine perfect conditions to develop well. The beautiful months of September and October allowed for the perfect ripening of the berries, and the harvest took place in serene conditions.
Blend of the 2016 vintage: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
The robe is a beautiful deep red color, almost purple, tinged with subtle and brilliant tiled reflections.
The nose offers a very expressive bouquet, with aromas of black fruits, blueberries and wild berries, toasted wood, pepper and undergrowth.
The attack is supple, the wine reveals a nice fleshy matter carried by ripe and elegant tannins. It stretches out for a long time, showing a controlled power and freshness, until a precise and tasty finish.
Food and wine pairing:
Château Lafon-Rochet 2016 will be a fine table companion with entrecote steak with Bordeaux sauce, filet mignon with Betty Bossi crust, filet of marcassin with beet butter and chanterelle mushrooms, or with all types of small game, such as jugged hare or wild rabbit.
To match with cheeses, taste it with Cantal, Edam, aged mimolette, morbier with truffles or Saint-Nectaire.
For desserts, it will be particularly delicious with a black forest cake, a chocolate mi-cuit or a tiramisu.
Ageing potential and tasting:
Château Lafon-Rochet 2016 has very nice aging potential, and will reach its peak between 2030 and 2035.
However, it is ready to be tasted now because it is a wine with a very good drinkability. To do so, open and decant the bottle in the serving room at room temperature 3 to 4 hours before tasting.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar, protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
