Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2017

Elegant and of particular freshness and delicacy—slender, refreshing, and tonic; a real treat; delightful and flawless.

Fresh red currant and black cherry fruit mingle nicely with lilac and tobacco notes. Judicious toast provides the frame, while the finish features a solid tug of iron. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2021 through 2029. 11,311 cases made.

This is a lovely St-Estèphe this year, firm and bright with bristling fruit right out of the gate — hugely unusual to see this year. This is one of my favourites, and it is totally charming with its cassis and damson fruit, but it's the juiciness and friendly tension that set it apart. Silky and enjoyable. Buy.

Aromas of smoke and tobacco with some currants, too. Medium body. Chewy tannins and an herb and berry aftertaste. Shows attractive fruit drive at the end. Drink in 2021.

The 2017 Lafon-Rochet has really come together nicely since I tasted it from barrel. Deep, rich and yet also vibrant, the 2017 has so much to offer. In 2017, Lafon-Rochet is a wine of precision and class. What it lacks in overt body, it makes up for in persistence and that most elusive quality in wine—personality. I don’t expect the 2017 to be especially long-lived, but it will offer fine drinking over the next decade or so.

Dark, spicy and soft-textured, there is fresh blackberry and cassis with accents of licorice and espresso. The wine is medium-bodied and bright, leaving you with an earthy, red-berry finish.

Garnet with a bright ruby core. Delicate bouquet of sour cherries and damsons. Mid-palate shows finely sandy extract, supporting tannins, and elegant breed. Slightly closed finish with juniper, tobacco leaf, and verbena. Unfortunately, it cannot match the good en primeur result.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 13% alc. by vol., 50% new barriques) Fresh, finely mineral bouquet, cassis, cherries, fine woods, dark tobacco. Powerful, classic palate with finely sandy tannins, velvety fruit, powerful dark fruit, velvety, fresh finish. Has room to improve.

(55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 13% alc./vol., 50% new barrique) Fresh, finely mineral bouquet, cassis, cherries, fine woods, dark tobacco. Powerful, classic palate with fine, silky tannins, velvety fruit, concentrated dark fruit, velvety, fresh finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2025 - 2040

Lafon-Rochet 2017 has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It opens with ready-to-go scents of warm black and red cherries, mulberries, and fragrant soil, plus hints of wild sage and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and juicy, with a lively line and a savory finish.

Beautiful volume on the palate, generous flesh, still a touch of bitterness to integrate within a firm yet not harsh tannic frame, in a style true to the appellation.

Juicy, fresh, taut wine, graphite, rounded tannins, long finish.

Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit. A touch of caramel. The palate shows refined tannins and subtle support, with mid-palate richness and a fresh, long, flavorful, and aromatic finish. It’s delicious now. Blend: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13% – pH: 3.7.