Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2018

Grape variety :
Cabernet Sauvignon (64%), 26% Merlot (26%), Petit Verdot (6%) and 4% Cabernet Franc %)(.

Eye :
Deep purple.

Nose :
Expressive, on freshness, crunchy ripe fruit, red berries (blackcurrant, strawberry, raspberry).

Mouth :
Powerful, full-bodied, a frank attack with enveloping tannins which prolong a dense structure. Supple and complex finish with a nice fruity aromatic return of cinnamon.

Wine pairing :
Red meat, game.

Millesime 2018

In 2018, the harvest, still manual, took place from september 24 to october 8 for the Merlots, from september 28 to sctober 13 for the Cabernets and ctober 11 and 13 for the Petit Verdots.

2018 can be described as memorable as it marked the spirits with its surprising weather conditions. If the first months of the year were very difficult with intense winter and spring rains, the great summer weather which lasted until october gave the 2018 vintage all the advantages of a great one.

Both early and long harvests took place in optimal conditions. The sun-kissed grapes with magnificent fruit and dazzling color showed remarkable maturity. The slow and gentle vinification took place in thermo-regulated concrete and stainless steel vats. During the following 12 months, the aging was done in french barrels, 50% new, 50% in barrels of one wine.

Château Lafon-Rochet, a historic property in the Medoc

The vineyard of Château Lafon-Rochet, 4th Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Estèphe, extends over 45 hectares in one piece which covers two hilltops; one gravelly and the other clayey. The diversity of the composition of these gravels, the excellent natural drainage as well as the blue clays make Lafon-Rochet a unique and exceptional terroir.

The grape variety is classic from the left bank of Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates at 48%, followed by Merlot 45%, Petit Verdot 3.5% and Cabernet Franc 3.5%. The vines, 9,000 plants per hectare, are on average 38 years old, although some vines are over 80 years old.

The origins of the estate, one of the oldest in the Médoc, date back to the 16th century. But it was not until 1650 that the name of Lafon was associated with that of Rochet, when the heiress of the estate brought it as a dowry to her husband Etienne de Lafon, adviser to the Parliament of Bordeaux.

Until 1880 Lafon-Rochet went through two centuries of viticultural adventures where the vineyard continued to grow and improve to lead to the birth of the Grand Cru whose excellence was recognized by the famous classification of 1855.

After the death of Madame Lafon de Camensac in 1880, the estate changed hands several times. In 1960, Guy Tesseron, visionary and passionate, bought Lafon-Rochet and began restructuring the vineyard while building a new chartreuse, the castle having been destroyed in a fire, then the extension of the barrel cellar in 1995.

His son Michel took over in 1999 and undertook major work both on the vinification tools and on the chartreuse, which was repainted in a golden yellow color in 2000. This same golden yellow that has since been found on the labels of wines from Chateau Lafon-Rochet.

Basile, Michel's son will succeed him in 2007 and will provide Lafon-Rochet with a brand new vat room in 2015.

2021, a new era

Since 2020, the Lafon-Rochet vineyard has entered the phase of conversion to Organic Farming. All this was accompanied by an extensive agroforestry program.

In december 2021, Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti acquired Château Lafon-Rochet.

The Cruse-Lorenzetti vineyards today include Château d'Issan Grand Cru Classé in 1855 from Margaux, Château Pédesclaux Grand Cru Classé in 1855 from Pauillac and Château Lilian Ladouys Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in Saint-Estèphe. The property is managed by Christophe Congé in close collaboration with Emmanuel Cruse, General Manager of Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti.

ALCOHOL ABUSE IS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR HEALTH, CONSUME WITH MODERATION.

Château Lafon-Rochet 2018 is available at wine merchants for €49.