Lafon-Rochet 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020

I’ve been trying all these over the last week or so - I hadn’t originally intended to do a Lafon-Rochet vertical at all! I opened a 2009, to check how it was developing, was a bit disappointed, so opened a 2014 to compare, which in turn led to a 2015, then a 2016, then I thought - sod it - and the following night opened the others. The 09 and 14 were tried separately then together, likewise at first the 15 and 16, but I left enough of each of the latter to try with the more recent vintages.

2009

Dark berries, damson plums and strawberry on the nose, then a lush, initially rather syrupy mouthful of plums, overripe blackcurrant and exotic spices. Not really my cup of tea. Could have come from anywhere. Like some other 09s, all that very ripe, initially juicy fruit has tipped over into a rather gloopy mess. To be fair, it was a lot better two days later, so it may improve with more age, but the lack of acidity does not make me very optimistic. Not sure what to give this - 87 pts optimistically?

2014

Blackberry, spices and plums on the nose, with a strong whiff of pepper. The attack is quite sappy and vibrant, with lip-smacking red cherry and blackberry, along with Asian spices and pepper, before a cooling wave of blackcurrant. Very St.Estephe in character, quite tight and restrained for now, plenty of tannins which do show on the finish, but overall lots of promise for the future. I wouldn’t say it’s ready now, even with a long decant (which I gave it). 91 pts

2015

A very different beast to the 2014. Quite a lush nose, with oodles of wild strawberry and red cherry, plus a more pronounced amount of oak. In the mouth, it is reminiscent of the 09 - but a lot better. The blackberry and plums are certainly ripe, from an obviously warm vintage, but there is better grip and acidity and it all holds together well. The chalky blackcurrant on the finish tips it neatly but firmly back into balance. I wouldn’t say it is intrinsically better than the 14, but it should age well. 91 pts

2016

A big step up in quality from the 2015. On the nose, cassis, orange peel, cigar box and spices, with some white pepper and blackberry, then a cool, elegant mouthful of mostly pure blackcurrant, with just a little plum, before some intense but civilised blackberry and dark cherry, the blackcurrant returning for the long, lingering finish. Wonderful stuff. 94 pts

2018

Like the 2015, the nose is rich, with sweet strawberry aromas dominating red cherry, spices and black pepper. The attack is warm and winsome, with wild strawberries at first, before ripe blackberries kick in, but no, this is far from being another 2009 and it is better than the 2015, because midpalate, the plums and blackcurrant are tighter, fresher, with a measured but forceful tannic bite. This is not a repeat of the dreaded 05 tannins - these are far more refined and sleek. Overall, a very fine, elegant wine that is only a notch behind the 2016. 14.5% ABV but you would never know. 93 pts

2019

The nose is much more perfumed than any preceding vintage - roses, even hints of spring flowers, with wild strawberry and black cherry. The attack is cool and refined, fresher than the 2016, with cool blackcurrant again, but crisper and lighter, before a middle section of plums and dark cherry, all very velvety and smooth, beautifully balanced, giving a sensation of innate class and distinction that I wasn’t necessarily expecting from a Lafon-Rochet. Yes, you could argue there is a bit of oak on the finish, but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The tannins are certainly present, but sufficiently discreet not to intrude. 95 pts

2020

Dark cherry and blackcurrant on the nose, with a little oak and spices at this stage. Made in a similar style to the 2019, the 2020 is cool, elegant and refined, with violets poking their noses out amid the velvety blackcurrant and blackberry. Perhaps less plums than other vintages, but the signature dark cherry is there. All very silky and a real achievement for Basile’s last vintage. Quite tannic for now, but once again, they are not obtrusive, in fact they’re hardly bothersome at all. Like the 2019, the feeling of innate class and refinement is extremely impressive. As good for me as the 2019, but needing longer in the cellar. 95 pts

To sum up:

2009 is a child of its time, blessed or cursed, according to one’s taste, with the “hedonistic” approach that was in vogue.
2014 is a work in progress, but for me, clearly a lot better.
2015 is less good than I hoped but better than I feared. If it wasn’t for the subsequent vintages it would be a benchmark vintage for a perfectly respectable but unexciting property.
2016 - well, another winner from 2016, already drinking beautifully, a fabulous wine, the first to show L-R’s true potential.
2018 - I loved this when I tasted it from barrel during our visit of the property and I was pleased to see that it was just as good in the bottle. The only problem is the comparison with the 16, 19 and 20.
2019 - for me, a tad better than the 2016, just because it is fresher and slightly more refined. Accessible already, this will be at its best relatively early. So much better than the wine he made ten years before.
2020 - more reticent than the 2019, the 2020 is for the long haul. The lowest ABV at 13.5% (not that the generally 14% ABVs were problematic in the other wines). Very impressive indeed.

Fascinating stuff, this underlined what a great job Basile Tesseron did before the property was sold. The learning curve is so clear, the improvements so obvious. I already felt rather sorry for him - this just confirmed it. How tough to leave a property having achieved so much - but one thing he didn’t achieve, sadly, was an increase of the price, something that perhaps explains the decision of his aunt to sell.

Of course, for us punters that’s great news. Lafon-Rochet represents great value for money. I paid pretty well the same price for all of these wines - around 35 euros, slightly less for the 14 and a few euros more for the 2016. This is ridiculously low for the top vintages. Sipping the 19 and 20, especially, I was musing how much they would really be worth - at least 80 or 90 euros. Knowing that Pontet-Canet, owned by the other branch of the Tesseron family, sells for more than that did rather confirm the impression that L-R is a bargain.

It would be great to try the best of these with the best of other top St.Estèphes - I suspect they would compare very well.

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Wonderful summary, thank you Julian. I have some of the 2009, 2010, 2014 and 2016 so your comments are very much appreciated. I don’t think I am quite so anti 2009s generally as you are, but your comments on the 14s and 16s fill me with anticipation.

Thanks Paul! Well the 09, each to their own but I do think it will be more relaxed in a few years time. I’ll open a 2010 soon to complete the lineup. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the 2016 - and if you spot any 2019 or 2020 (especially 2019), grab some!

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Love that 2020. Haven’t tried the others but I’ll look out for the 2019.

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Julian,

Thanks so much for the notes. As you know, I am very interested in learning more about Lafon Rochet after my visit there at the end of August. I tasted 2002, 2016, 2018 and 2021 and your notes on the two wines I had are excellent. I really liked the 2016 a lot and if the 2019 and 2020 are better, wow. Just bought a bit of 2019, so your notes make me happy.

Have you had the 2022 or 2023? I assume the wines are made differently, but the new owner is now one of the owners of D’Issan, so that cannot be all bad (I would hope)???

Thanks again for the notes.

Cheers, Julian. Like Howard, I’m a big fan of the 2016 and will now look to try the 2020 as it’s available in my local shop.

I haven’t tried the 2022 and 2023 - judging by Chris Kissack’s notes, the 2022 sounds similar to the 2018, whereas the 2023 sounds more like the 2020. I probably won’t get either, just because I’m getting on and one has to stop somewhere (!) but I’ll certainly buy some 2021, as you said you liked it a lot after your visit.

But I may change my mind about the 22 and 23, because one thing I did notice is how accessible the recent vintages I tried are. Gone are the days when one needed to wait 12 to 15 years before opening a top L-R. Yes, they will of course be better with age, but unlike the 2005 for example, which is only just opening for business now, they can all enjoyed in their youth, and with those classy tannins, there is no risk of falling apart after a decade. Finishing the 2018, 19 and 20 last night, I just preferred the 19 to the 20, but only by a smidgen and with more age, that may well change.

The progress made is really extraordinary. I couldn’t help thinking back to the vintages, back in the 80s, which got me into Lafon-Rochet. At the time, the label was practically the same as that of Pontet-Canet, but Lafon’s reputation was actually better. I think that says more about where PC was at the time than it does about LR’s quality, as the wines were sometimes a little stodgy, albeit not without real St.Estèphe character. The two wines sold for about the same, but LR was slightly more expensive I think. From the mid-90s, LR certainly improved, but in terms of reputation PC left it trailing in its wake, and it has never made up the lost ground. Today, I’m far from sure this is justified. I haven’t tried the most recent PC vintages, but they would have to be pretty amazing to justify the difference in price between the two wines.

I’m not at all worried about the new team. They have all the necessary pedigree and experience to do a great job. I’m sure they will make further improvements - albeit at the cost of higher prices.

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I enjoyed reading this, Julian. Your notes have interesting perspectives with a nice use of language. Well done and thanks.

Thanks Jim, that’s very kind of you !

Julian,

I must admit that when I got to the store, I chickened out and bought 2019 LR rather than 2021. I was fascinated by the 2021, but decided the 2019 was the safer bet.

Howard, the 2019 Lafon Rochet was one of my, and my wife’s favorites when we went to the UGC a couple of years ago. She immediately gave me the ‘buy’ signal once she tasted it. I think you will like it. Also agree on all of the comments regarding the 2016.

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