The 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours included a tour of and tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet. The tour was conducted by winemaker Lucas Leclercq. For the tasting, we were joined by owner Basile Tesseron. Basile’s father, Michel Tesseron, who had been our guide during the 2012 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours was out of the country.
See:
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basile Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/Franc
Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet is a 4th Grand Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Medoc. It is one of the 5 classified properties in the appellation of Saint Estèphe. Its grounds are separated from those of Château Lafite to the north by the width of the road and from Cos d'Estournel by a dirt path.
History
The history of Château Lafon-Rochet starts in the 16th century, when a portion known as Rochet (because of its rocky terrain) eventually passed by marriage to Etienne de Lafon, who established Lafon-Rochet. The estate then passed down through the Lafon generations for almost 300 years.
See:
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
An Afternoon with Owner Michel Tesseron at Château Lafon-Rochet, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, in Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
When Guy Tesseron became the owner in 1959, it needed a serious restoration and Guy Tesseron did restore it to its former glory. Guy Tesseron was from a Chanterais family, specializing in the Cognac production.
Guy Tesseron first put the vineyards back in order. He then built new chai, and a new château, in the style of the 18th century. Also, some 25 hectares were added to the vineyard.
In 1975, Guy Tesseron also acquired 5th growth Chateau Pontet-Canet from the Cruse family. Both châteaux subsequently passed to the next generation with Lafon-Rochet coming to Michel Tesseron. Currently the property is in the good hands of Michel’s son, Basil Tesseron.
Michel and Basile Tesseron
Before joining the family business in 1987, Michel Tesseron worked in in Cognac, then in Bordeaux for Barton & Guestier, and for the négociants Chantecaille.
It was Michel Tesseron who oversaw the painting of the château yellow in 2000. At the same time, the bottles were redesigned and matching yellow labels and capsules are used now.
Basile Tesseron took over with the 2007 vintage and he now has full control.
Vineyards and Wine Making
Lafon-Rochet's vineyards covers 45 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 2%.
Pictures: With Winemaker Lucas Leclercq in the Wine Cellar
To match the 40 different vineyard parcels, the estate has 40 stainless steel, temperature controlled vats. The wine is kept in new oak barrels for 9 months before it is moved to one year old barrels, where it remains for an additional 9 months. The final blending takes place 3 months before bottling.
The grand vin is Château Lafon-Rochet (11000 cases per annum), the second wine is Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet (also 11000 cases per annum and once known as Numéro 2 de Lafon-Rochet).
Today, Basile Tesseron is steering Lafon-Rochet towards biodynamic viticulture, following the example of his uncle at Pontet-Canet. But Lafon-Rochet has not yet been certified.
For more information on Château Lafon-Rochet, Jeff Leve from The Wine Cellar Insider has an excellent write-up on his website.
Tasting
We ended up with a tasting of 4 wines.
Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet 2009
“Stylish lilac, damson plum and cherry pit notes run through this medium-weight, forward-styled offering, with a chalk edge that keeps the wine grounded in the appellation.” Wine Spectator, US$28
Lafon-Rochet 2008
A strong effort for this vintage, the 2008 exhibits a dark plum/purple color, plenty of firm, rugged, austere tannins, copious red and black fruits, admirable flavor intensity and medium body. Cellar it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 15. Score: 88 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (194), May 2011, $44
Lafon-Rochet 2009
Juicy and very lively, with lots of briar, currant, cherry, toasty spice and anise notes all framed by bright floral and iron hints. The long finish has excellent cut and drive. Best from 2013 through 2021. (3/ 2012) 91 points Wine Spectator, $60
Lafon-Rochet 2010
I had some bottle variation with this blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The 2010 from Lafon Rochet seemed slightly restrained and closed down on the three occasions I tasted it in Bordeaux. Dense black/ruby, it displays sweet tannin, excellent purity, fresh fruit and a very primary, almost grapy style with lots of fruit, but at the same time, a somewhat monolithic character. It should turn out fine, but it certainly needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring and should drink well for up to two decades.The property is owned by the Tesseron family and run by the newest generation, son Basile, who is converting the estate to biodynamic farming a la his uncle, Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet. (2/ 2013) 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, $58
Bye-bye
Thank you very much Basile Tesseron and Winemaker Lucas Leclercq for a great tour and tasting.
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