Château Lafon Rochet - Saint-Estèphe 1994

Wine Advocate

89 / 100

par Robert Parker le 28/02/1997

Readers should keep an eye out for Lafon-Rochet, one of the emerging stars of St.-Estephe. Beginning with the 1994 vintage, the stricter selection and dedication of the Tesseron family are pushing this wine into a higher qualitative category. Moreover, prices for Lafon-Rochet remain low! This should turn out to be an outstanding example of Lafon-Rochet. The 1994 is a breakthrough vintage for this estate, and it has been followed by an even more compelling wine in 1995. The 1994 exhibits an opaque purple color, followed by a sweet, pure nose of cassis, new oak, and beef blood. Muscular and massive, with huge body, and a boatload of tannin, this wine is crammed with extract and power. It requires 5-7 years of cellaring, and will last for 20-30 years. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025.

Wine Spectator

88 / 100

le 31/01/1997

Fruity, with berry, cherry and tobacco aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, chewy on the finish. Best after 1998. 24,166 cases made.

Wine Advocate

88-89 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/1996

As I reported last year, the 1994 is a tannic, but medium to full-bodied, thick, robust, muscular wine with excellent concentration, a saturated deep ruby/purple color, and fine purity and intensity. Despite its tannic toughness, there is enough sweet fruit to balance out the wine's structure. This impressive Lafon-Rochet was the finest wine made at this estate in decades....until 1995. The Tesseron family, the proprietor of Pontet-Canet, have obviously decided to upgrade the quality of that estate, so it is not surprising that their other well-known Medoc estate, Lafon-Rochet, is also benefiting from greater attention to detail and a stricter selection. This moderately priced wine merits more attention from readers looking to maximize their purchasing power.

Wine Advocate

87-88 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/1995

The Tesseron family struck pay-dirt in 1994 with their other Medoc property, Pontet-Canet, so it was not surprising to see how well the 1994 Lafon-Rochet turned out. It is a saturated purple-colored, tannic, backward, classic (in the sense of being made in an austere, medium to full-bodied, ripe, backward style) wine. Although it smells and tastes ripe, there is a ton of tannin in the finish. It requires 8-10 years of cellaring, and it should keep well for 25 or more years. Could this turn out to be a modern day version of the 1970, which was so promising in its first 10-15 years of life but is now drying out and becoming more austere without ever fully blossoming?