【1855 Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé 4th Growth - Quatrieme grands crus classes】
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【Vinous 95】【James Suckling 94】【Decanter 94】
【Wine Enthusiast 94】【Jeb Dunnuck 93】
【Wine Spectator 93】【Wine Advocate 91-93】【Vivino 4.1】
ZTF524E - Chateau Lafon Rochet 2016 Saint Estephe
Special Price: $415/pc
Appellation：France / Bordeaux / Saint-Estephe
Grape Varieties：67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol：14%
Volume : 750ml
【Vinous 95 pts】
The 2016 Lafon-Rochet is very intense on the nose. A mixture of red and black fruit, crushed violet, wild mint and crushed stone unfolds with aeration. It's perhaps a little Barolo in style. The palate is beautifully balanced with supple tannins, very velvety smooth with lovely acidity and sensuality on the finish. Gorgeous. A high point for the estate.
【James Suckling 94 pts】
An explosion of all manner of black berries with discreet, toasty and smoky oak, makes this a joyful St.-Estèphe. Then the great balance of ripeness, lively acidity and velvety tannins come together beautifully at the elegant finish to make this the best wine from this producer in modern times.
【Decanter 94 pts】
Closed yet concentrated and silky, this takes its time and although there is balance, it's certainly not generous. The high acidity is notable but it softens, deepens, and opens on the palate, revealing black fruits held in a chargrilled frame.
【Wine Enthusiast 94 pts】
Now producing impressive wines, this estate has made a firm, rich wine in this vintage. Its tannins are very present, but they have a velvet edge that is immediately attractive. Not that the wine won't age: its structure and good acidity will see to that.
【Jeb Dunnuck 93 pts】
Deep purple/plum-hued, it has a ripe, powerful bouquet of blackberries, truffly earth, licorice, bay leaf, and spicy oak. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated Saint Estèphe with a solid spine of acidity, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and should have two decades of prime drinking.
【Wine Spectator 93 pts】
This is vivid, with a mix of steeped red and black currant coulis flavors streaming through, while ample savory, bay leaf, tobacco and warm stone notes course underneath. The elements meld wonderfully on the finish, revealing a tug of savory and earth at the very end.
【Wine Advocate 91-93 pts】
It has a very succinct bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and light oyster shell aromas, classic in style, more reserved than I found the 2015 Lafon Rochet last year. The palate is medium-bodied with powerful tannin on the entry, a keen line of acidity (3.65 pH), fine symmetry with a pleasant rondeur on the finish sprinkled with black pepper and tobacco. This is a very fine Lafon Rochet from Basile Tesseron and his team.
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【James Suckling 93】【Vinous 92】
【Wine Advocate 90】【Vivino 4.0】
ZTF524F Chateau Lafon Rochet Saint Estephe 2021
Special Price: $365/pc
Appellation：France / Bordeaux / Saint-Estephe
Grape Varieties：Cabernet Sauvignon 69% , Merlot 29% , Cabernet Franc4% , Petit Verdot 1%
Alcohol：13%
Volume : 750ml
【James Suckling 93 pts】
This red has a very pretty focus and transparency, with plums, redcurrants and just a hint of chocolate and hazelnuts. Medium-bodied. Impressive, integrated tannins fold beautifully into the wine.
【Vinous 92 pts】
The 2021 Lafon-Rochet is very good, although there are some rustic contours that areimpossible to look past. Dark fruit, spice, lavender and licorice are some of the notes thatopen in the glass. Overall, the 2021 feels a bit chunky, especially for a wine that tends to bemore linear and medium-weight in build.
【Wine Advocate 90 pts】
The 2021 Lafon-Rochet offers up aromas of cassis, licorice and pencil shavings, followed by a medium-bodied, supple and charming palate that's seamless and harmonious, framed by soft, powdery tannins, concluding with a minty finish.
Introduction：Chateau Lafon Rochet is a 16th century estate with a long history, located in the most perfect and valuable area, between the famous Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Cos d'Estournel, in Bordeaux in 1855 The rating is listed as a 4th growth estate. Château Lafon-Rochet has been owned by the Tesseron family since 1959. The property had been neglected and Guy Tesseron extensively replanted, as well as building a completely new château in "chartreuse" style. Today Lafon-Rochet is run by Albert and Michel Tesseron. Lafon-Rochet's wines were, for many years, criticised for being excessively tannic and austere and generally were considered to lack charm. In the last decade or so, improved viticultural techniques and a greater percentage of Merlot in the final blend has led to purer expressions of fruit and the wines being generally more supple and elegant. Lafon-Rochet needs at least 10 years of bottle ageing to show at its best.
Maturation : Depending on the vintage, it will be aged in oak barrels for 12months before bottling.
Vinification : Lafon-Rochet's vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon 56%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 4%) lie on clay-gravel soils and are superbly sited in the south of the commune opposite Château Lafite. The wines are matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months.
