Chateau Lafon-Rochet (Futures Pre-Sale) 2021

Professional Ratings

• 93 James Suckling
  A firm and linear wine with blackberry and blackcurrant character. Medium body. Creamy. Focused for the vintage. Turns to plums and citrus at the end. From organically grown grapes. 69% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
  Barrel Sample: 92-93
• 91 Decanter
  Juicy and lively, this has a playful and fun nature to the fruit - sweet strawberry and raspberry with some herbal raspberry leaf touches too and the Cabernet spice and backbone also making an appearance. Nice clarity with a smooth texture and an overall glossy feel to it despite the robust tannins on the finish. Plump and layered with charm. The last vintage under the helm of Basile Tesseron. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.70pH.
  Barrel Sample: 91
• 91 Jeb Dunnuck
  The last vintage made by Basile Tesseron and 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Melot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2021 Château Lafon-Rochet is outstanding stuff that clearly does well in the vintage. Cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and ripe tobacco notes all give way to a medium-bodied Saint-Estèphe with fine tannins, solid concentration (especially in the vintage), and a balanced, layered, seamless profile that will evolve nicely for two decades. The tannin quality here is terrific.
• 90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2021 Lafon-Rochet offers up aromas of cassis, licorice and pencil shavings, followed by a medium-bodied, supple and charming palate that's seamless and harmonious, framed by soft, powdery tannins, concluding with a minty finish.