Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2016

Critical Acclaim: 95 pts Decanter; 94 pts Wine Enthusiast; 94 pts James Suckling; 93 pts Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts Wine Spectator; 93 pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Tasting Notes: "All the success of St-Estèphe in 2016 can be seen in Lafon-Rochet this year, where the 30mm of rain on 13th September and 13mm on 8th October, with nothing in between, allowed the clay, limestone and gravel soils to fully ripen the grapes. Owner Basile Tesseron says he had never seen such maturity in his Cabernet Sauvignons, and certainly we have hugely intense aromatics from the first nose. The palate features finessed and fleshed out mouthwatering black fruits making it hard not to love this. Tasted three times in total, and every time it stood out. Blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 30% new oak. 3.68pH."- Decanter.  "Now producing impressive wines, this estate has made a firm, rich wine in this vintage. Its tannins are very present, but they have a velvet edge that is immediately attractive. Not that the wine won't age: its structure and good acidity will see to that. Drink from 2025" -Wine Enthusiast. "Blackberry and blueberry on the nose, as well as dark-chocolate, mineral and earthy undertones. It’s full-bodied with firm tannins. Fleshy and savory texture with layers. Flavorful finish and beautiful length. Lovely ripe fruit in the center palate. Try after 2025."- James Suckling.  "This is vivid, with a mix of steeped red and black currant coulis flavors streaming through, while ample savory, bay leaf, tobacco and warm stone notes course underneath. The elements meld wonderfully on the finish, revealing a tug of savory and earth at the very end. Best from 2023 through 2033."- Wine Spectator.  "The 2016 Lafon Rochet is a blend of 25% Merlot, 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc cropped at 46 hectoliters per hectare and matured in 50% new oak. The harvest was between 1 October and 20 October. The alcohol is 13.6%, which is just a little higher here than say Cos d'Estournel or Montrose. It has a very succinct bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and light oyster shell aromas, classic in style, more reserved than I found the 2015 Lafon Rochet last year. The palate is medium-bodied with powerful tannin on the entry, a keen line of acidity (3.65 pH), fine symmetry with a pleasant rondeur on the finish sprinkled with black pepper and tobacco. This is a very fine Lafon Rochet from Basile Tesseron and his team."- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.  "Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, the 2016 Château Lafon-Rochet comes from healthy yields of 46 hectoliter per hectare and was raised in 50% new barrels. While I wasn't able to taste this wine on release (I purchased this bottle locally), it's certainly showing potential today. Deep purple/plum-hued, it has a ripe, powerful bouquet of blackberries, truffly earth, licorice, bay leaf, and spicy oak. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated Saint Estèphe with a solid spine of acidity, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and should have two decades of prime drinking. I don't think this matches the brilliant 2019, but it's not far off." - Jeb Dunnuck Varietal: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and  2% Petit Verdot.