Château Lafon-Rochet 2020

The aromatic richness of a red wine from Saint-Estèphe

The estate

The origins of Château Lafon-Rochet date back to the 17th century. Located in the Saint-Estèphe appellation, Château Lafon-Rochet distinguished itself in 1855 by gaining the title of Grand Cru Classe. In 1960 Guy Tesseron acquired the property. Thanks to the hard work and passion of Guy Tesseron, Lafon-Rochet gradually rose to the top of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. In 2007, Michel Tesseron's son, Basile Tesseron took over the reins of the family estate. With its golden yellow chartreuse façade and wine label, Lafon-Rochet is today a true standard of the Saint-Estèphe appellation.

The vineyard

The Château Lafon-Rochet vineyard covers 40 hectares of vines with a superb location in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. The vines are planted on two outcroppings with different terroirs. Gravel soils promote excellent drainage, while clay helps regulate water stress.

The wine

This 2020 vintage celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the acquisition of Château Lafon-Rochet by Guy Tesseron.

The vintage

A mild winter preceded a dry and sunny beginning of spring, favouring early bud burst. Flowering was almost two weeks early. The end of spring gave way to a cool and wet beginning of summer, increasing the downy mildew pressure. Some stormy days in August were beneficial for the vineyard, adding water and freshness to revive the ripening of the grapes. Started early, the harvest yielded fully ripe, dense and colourful Merlot, as well as high-quality Cabernet with significant tannic potential and thick skins.

Vinification and ageing

Harvested manually, the grapes were vinified in concrete and stainless steel tanks. A minimal intervention approach was adopted in order to preserve the elegance and freshness of fruit from each plot. Ageing took place for a minimum of 12 months in barrels.

The blend

The Château Lafon-Rochet 2020 was made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (61%), Merlot (33%), Cabernet Franc (3%) and Petit Verdot (3%). This 2020 vintage is the fruit of a collaboration between two oenologists and friends, Jean-Claude Berrouet and Eric Boissenot.