2022 Château Lafon-Rochet En Primeur
Released for sale en primeur this morning are Châteaux Lafon-Rochet (95-97pts AG) at £420 per dozen and Gruaud Larose (95-97pts NM) at £420 per six.
We were fans of Lafon-Rochet under the Tesseron family, as a great example of how a less august (fourth growth), family-owned château could still be innovative, sustainable, and above all produce some great wine. In 2021, the Tesserons sold to Jackie Lorenzetti*. Lorenzetti is a property magnate and also owns Pedesclaux in Pauillac and Lilian Ladouys in St-Estèphe, whose vineyard border Lafon-Rochet's. He co-owns d'Issan in Margaux, which you will find offered at the foot of this email, along with a re-offer of Lilian Ladouys.
Lorenzetti's previous form has been to invest heavily in the châteaux he buys and he has already appointed a new Managing Director, Christophe Congé, formerly the oenologist for Château Lafite Rothschild for 22 years. In a great year for St-Estèphe, Lafon-Rochet is known for being one of the most elegant wines from this commune. The 2022 has retained this elegance, but under Congé it also has additional power this year.
Many cru classé châteaux have improved quality no end over the last few decades, but at Gruaud Larose the glory years were the 1980s, when they made some superb vintages (notably, 1982 and '86). Since then, the wines have been mostly just a little sub-par for a deuxième cru classé...all the right notes were there, but not necessarily in the right order, mainly a lack of precision to the fruit flavours. We noticed a sudden turnaround in the last few years and with the 2022 vintage this familiar and much-loved label is back! As Neal Martin says, 'Gruaud reborn' (95-97 points).
Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to order.
Offered en primeur, on allocation. Landing spring 2025.
Magnums available with £15 ex-VAT bottling surcharge, please enquire for other formats.
To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
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:
| RED | 2022 | Château Lafon Rochet | 75cl | £420 per case of 12 | Château Lafon Rochet 2022 / / 75cl £420 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"The inaugural vintage for winemaker Christophe Congé, the 2022 Lafon-Rochet is an ambitiously styled blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Offering up aromas of crème de cassis, burning embers and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with supple, generously extracted tannins and a rather lavish, demonstrative profile. It's a wine crafted to grab one's attention, but if élevage is kind to it, it may make my score seem conservative. 90-92 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2022 Lafon Rochet was picked from 12 September and over 10 consecutive days at a fairly leisurely pace since the conditions were so clement. After just one day, the juice was already dark red, so the team were prudent with extraction. Quite classic in style, this offers blackberry, light wild strawberry and iris flower scents. Backward at first, it then opens gradually with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. I admire the balance and precision of this Lafon Rochet, real finesse here and quite a "cool" and refined finish that fans out with a sense of confidence and composure. Bon vin. 92-94 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Baked plum, damson, black pepper, edges of cut herbs and dried rose petals, campfire smoke and soot. This is intense but has an aromatic quality that hugs through the palate, and the tannins are plentiful but well controlled. 50% new oak plus some large oak casks, and 400l barrels; almost 60% 1st wine, down from 70% last year (in a better vintage this year, really an indication of the focus on quality under the new team). Harvest September 12 to 27. Eric Boissenot consultant together wtih director Christophe Congé, ex Lafite, in his first full vintage. As of 2024 this will be the first Cru Classé in St Estèphe to be certified organic. 94 points" janeanson.com------"This shows a terrific tannin backbone with blackcurrants and berries. Medium body. Solid fruit. Vivid. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 4% cabernet franc 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com------"One of the bigger, more structured wines in Saint-Estèphe, the 2022 Château Lafon-Rochet checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. Ripe blackcurrants, smoky blue fruits, scorched earth, and chocolate all define the aromatics, and this concentrated, medium to full-bodied, powerful wine has ample mid-palate depth, ripe yet significant tannins, and a great finish. It's not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, of cellaring. It's a beautiful wine though, worthy of purchasing and cellaring. 93-95+ points" Jebdunnuck.com------"The 2022 Lafon-Rochet is fabulous. Once again, Lafon-Rochet is the most elegant wine in Saint-Estèphe. There's a bit more richness and mid-palate intensity than in the past, likely a combination of the year and the approach of the new team headed by Technical Director Christophe Congé, who was formerly at Lafite-Rothschild. The 2022 signals a new era for the château that is likely to see a greater focus on selection and a slightly richer style. Even so, the signatures of Lafon-Rochet are evident. It's an exciting time. 95-97 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
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