Lafon Rochet - Saint-Estèphe 2020

Vinous

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Lafon-Rochet was bottled at the end of June. It has quite an expressive bouquet, leaning more towards black fruit, touches of undergrowth and pencil box. This is very harmonious and actually quite similar in style to the Phélan-Ségur. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannins, well judged acidity, fresh and displaying commendable depth. Hints of black pepper and cedar, a pleasing strictness on the finish, whereas I commented that it was quite Pomerol-like out of barrel, now it is much more Pauillac in style, with graphite lingering on the aftertaste. Excellent.

Jamessuckling.com

91 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

Subtle dried spices and berries with chocolate undertones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a savory finish. Fresh and bright. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better in a year or two and onwards.

Le Figaro

96-98 / 100

the6/2/2021

Un nez envoûtant, à la fois puissant et timide, de fruits noirs et de sureau, aussi ravissant qu'une demoiselle d'honneur. Une bouche pulpeuse, pleine de fruits, et la fraîcheur d'une prairie sauvage, avec un grain aérien et une finale réglissée.

Vinous

93-95 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Lafon-Rochet is fabulous. The aromatics along are dazzling. Gracious and yet effusive, with tons of nuance, the 2020 dazzles from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, new leather, spice, lavender and menthol fill the room with soaring intensity. Silky, elegant and so pure, Lafon-Rochet is shaping up to be one of the real under the radar gems of 2020. It's a terrific effort from Basile Tesseron. Don't miss it.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

I loved the 2020 Château Lafon-Rochet, a rich, powerful, concentrated Saint-Estèphe that stays beautifully balanced and elegant. Lots of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp herb notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to take 7-8 years to hit the early stages of maturity, but it's a brilliant wine. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.5 and a pH of 3.68. Tasted twice.

Vinous

92-94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/27/2021

The 2020 Lafon-Rochet was picked September 15–20 and marks the first collaboration between consultants Jean-Claude Berrouet and Eric Boissenot, who both worked on the blending. It has a really lovely bouquet of blackberry, briar and faint estuarine scents, hints of crushed iris flower emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and modest depth, and quite fleshy; lip-smacking salinity urges you to take another sip. Intriguingly, it comes across a tad Pomerol-like on the finish, completing a top-notch Lafon-Rochet that may well end up at the top of my banded score.

Decanter.com

93 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Attractive, well-paced fruits, plenty of clarity to the flavours, together with a feeling of linearity to the tannins. Austerity through the mid-palate constrains the brambled cassis fruit, but things build back up again and this is a measured, successful wine that will age well. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. First year with Eric Boissenot accompanying Jean-Claude Berrouet as consultants.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/23/2021

I loved the 2020 Château Lafon-Rochet, a rich, powerful, concentrated Saint-Estèphe that stays beautifully balanced and elegant. Lots of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp herb notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to take 7-8 years to hit the early stages of maturity, but it's a brilliant wine. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.5 and a pH of 3.68. Tasted twice. 93-95+

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Deeply colored, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, long, dark, round, dark and energetic. The fruits are plush, ripe, sweet and fleshy. The mid-palate shows off its blend of cassis, blackberry, cocoa, tobacco leaf and spice with little effort. The finish is long, clean and vibrant with a creamy textured endnote. This should age and develop nicely for at least 2-3 decades. 94-96

Anthocyanes

92-94 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Fruits frais, notes de cassis, de framboise pour un nez plus terrien et plus graphite que d'habitude. En bouche, on retrouve les fondamentaux de la propriété avec de la densité contenue, de beaux tanins, du jus et une texture charnue. Attendons les élevages mais ce vin pourrait gagner en enrobage.

Falstaff

91-93 / 100

the5/10/2021

Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Zart nach Nougat, feine Brombeerfrucht, schwarze Kirschen, dezente Kräuterwürze. Mittlere Komplexität, feine Fruchtsüße, reife Kirschen, seidige Tannine, angenehme mineralische Textur, ein Hauch von Schokolade, bereits entwickelt.

My Bettane + Desseauve

96 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

93-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

Blackberry and spice with firm, chewy tannins that show polish and focus. It’s medium-to full-bodied with excellent energy. Blackberry and blackcurrant character on the finish with a touch of cedar and spice.