2015 Château Lafon-Rochet

Château Lafon-Rochet stands in Saint-Estèphe, the northernmost of the four great communal appellations of the Médoc. Here, the gravel deposited by the Garonne is frequently mixed with a greater proportion of clay than farther south. The gravel provides drainage and warmth for Cabernet Sauvignon, while the clay beneath it retains water and gives the wines their characteristic depth, firmness and ability to mature over long periods.

Lafon-Rochet was ranked a Fourth Growth in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. This is a permanent historical classification of the estate, not a score awarded to the 2015 vintage. The ranking placed the leading Médoc châteaux into five growths according to their reputation and market standing at the time; Lafon-Rochet belongs to the fourth tier of that hierarchy.

The estate’s 2015 vineyard covered 40 hectares, with vines averaging 30 years of age on deep gravel and gravel over clay. The final blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. The fruit was harvested by hand, vinified in stainless-steel vats and matured for at least 12 months in barrel.

The 2015 season gave Lafon-Rochet the ripeness to soften Saint-Estèphe’s naturally firm architecture without losing its mineral and savoury identity. Cabernet Sauvignon supplies cassis, graphite and structure; Merlot fills the centre of the palate with plum and black cherry; Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc add colour, spice and aromatic detail.

In the glass, the wine opens with blackcurrant, black cherry and blueberry, followed by cedar, graphite, liquorice, smoke and dried herbs. The palate is full and composed, with ripe dark fruit, polished but persistent tannins and a fresh mineral line carrying the finish.

This is mature-classic Saint-Estèphe from a generous Bordeaux vintage: substantial and cellar-worthy, yet increasingly expressive with air. Decanting allows the dark fruit, earth and cedar notes to emerge beyond the wine’s initial structure.

Roast beef, lamb cutlets, slow-cooked beef cheek, delicate duck preparations such as cassoulets, aged cheese platters.

Serve: 16–18 °C
Drink: 2024–2045