2019 Château Lafon-Rochet, St-Estèphe
In Saint-Estèphe, Lafon-Rochet, headed by Alfred Tesseron's nephew Basile Tesseron, is a fast-improving property. We have enjoyed vintages from this estate over the last decade or more, but Tesseron appears to be finding additional elegance and finesse. Martin describes the 2019 as "imbued with a sense of nobility and classicism that I much admire" (93-95 points).
Already excellent value in any recent vintage, at £340 per dozen the 2019 is down 11.8% on the 2018 release price.
Producer Profile
Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet is a Quatrièmes Cru Classé in St-Estèphe, owned by the Tesseron family, who made their fortune in Cognac and who also own Pontet-Canet. The estate was founded in 1650, when Antoinette de Guillemotte brought the land of Rochette as her dowry to her husband, Pierre de Lafon. When the Tesserons bought the estate in 1959 it was badly run-down, with just 17 hectares of vines.
Production was modernised under Michel Tesseron from 2000 (he also painted the château in its distinctive Mediterranean yellow). Today the estate has 45 ha of vines and is run on organic and biodynamic lines by Michel's son, Basile Tesseron. He is also making ground-breaking efforts to re-wild the estate, planting trees and shrubs and encouraging biodiversity.
Below is a charming animation that illustrates the superb location and terroirs at Lafon-Rochet:
