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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 86.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 18 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by BCDL on 12/28/2023 & rated 92 points: Very tannic, balance lovely, but lacking in fruit. (146 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 1/18/2021: Coravin fun - Lafon Rochet (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Gamey, funky, oxidised with menthol, leather, stewed fruits are black over red, plenty of spice, a little mushroom, nail varnish remover. Juicy, a touch of sourness to the slightly stewed black and red fruit compote. Plenty of talc textured drying tannins, slight alcohol warmth here as well. Opens with time. Nice. (2001 views) | | | Tasted by NewFrenchClaret on 12/11/2020 & rated 90 points: Quite a pleasant surprise this one. Wasn't expecting a lot since Lafon Rochet of old has a less than stellar reputation. The bottle was particularly manky looking, which depressed my expectations further.
The first glass was true to form; a curious, angular wine with a strange aftertaste. But after about an hour of being open (no decant), it settled down a bit. Light in color, but consistent with its age. Very tertiary bouquet of mushroom and tobacco. Not much fruit left, perhaps a dash of raspberry.
Attractively sweet in taste, quite lightweight, with a little grip left. Overall a very drinkable claret for those who like ancient wine. (1766 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 8/31/2018: Coravin fun - new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. After carefully wiping away the detritus of the previous 46 years cellaring the cork top proved to be reasonably pristine (though the entire appeared fully saturated). On the nose an almost ethereal, filigree blackcurrant note with old saddle leather, mushrooms, dusty spice shelf and dry farmhouse. On the palate the wine is juicy to the point of sharpness but by no means volatile, the ghost of talc-textured tannic burr on the tongue and a little warmth on the finish. Flavours are as the nose. Fully mature and to be consumed soon... (2817 views) | | | Tasted by Pbnj on 2/14/2018 & rated 93 points: Very sound and delicious in spite of a cork that was nearly failed. Lively subtle fruit of raspberries, currants, apples. Smooth long taste and finish, tannin getting thin but added to the savory experience. (2956 views) | | | Tasted by KSWinegeek on 4/23/2015 & rated 83 points: Bottle stored in passive cellar since release and fill was below shoulder, so the expectations were this wine was likely going down the sink. To build on that expectation, the top of the cork was moldy, the overly moist cork crumbled upon extractionn, the wine was brown and there is really not much on the nose. Surprisingly, the wine still was drinkable, although clearly way past its prime. Dry, with fruit and tannins very reduced. Nonetheless, there was enough left to show former character and to make worth consuming. (4945 views) | | | Tasted by Blake Brown on 12/1/2012 & rated 69 points: not too much happening here, it`s dry, reduced and here and gone. (5680 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 8/15/2011: This smelled tired and past it, so I opened the Margaux backup. But by time we ate, it seemed to have perked up a little, showing some dark fruit under a layer of forest floor and cigar ash. Quite drinkable if a bit geriatric. B- (6811 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 7/23/2011: The second time I've had this wine and a really different showing than the first. Beautifully perfumed nose - very floral, still with good fruit and nice cedar tones. Really nice vintage Bordeaux. This was a wine that was meant not to be drunk for 20 years and to be consumed for 30 years after that. Is this sort of thing being made anymore? Very nice mouthfeel. Maybe nearing the end of its plateau, but not at all convinced that this is truly on the decline. Splendid.
4/5 (6516 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 12/30/2010: Showed well. Robe still dark, brick disc but not brown. Very bloody, meaty nose but has retained good fruit. Still some nice wood. Not as tertiary as would be expected I suppose, but a little mulchy. Similar palate, a little hot. I enjoyed it. Bottoms up!
3.5-4/5 (6353 views) | | | Tasted by jswine15 on 3/22/2010 & rated 89 points: nice mature old bordeaux. (4405 views) | | | Tasted by Grinder on 12/8/2007 & rated 87 points: Decanted 2 hours after extracting crumbling cork. Amber and light in appearance. Nose is long on earth and cedar, but very pleasant. Not much fruit coming through. Nice mature fruit, including a smokey berry note, on the palate. Full to medium body. Nice acidity leads to an earthy, lingering finish. Very nice, very mature wine. (3648 views) | | | Tasted by Grinder on 10/21/2007 & rated 84 points: Cork saturated to the top. Decanted for sediment. Color was brick red to light pink at the edges. Pleasing nose of ripe plum and something close to burned caramel. Up front is ripe plum and thin, somewhat tart, red fruit followed by a shortish, mineral laden finish. Good, but not very good, 37 year old Bordeaux. Drink em if you got em. (3250 views) | | | Tasted by DavidKehler on 9/23/2006: This bottle was pristine, never out of a temperature controlled environment since it left the chateau decades ago. The wine was sensational, even better than the other 11 bottles from this case that were consumed between eight and twelve years ago. Interestingly, at a Chateau Haut Brion vertical that I attended last week, the 1970 was best in show among seven or eight vintages. (3544 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 5/22/1999 & rated 89 points: Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ Aubert de Villaine (DRC) (NYC): Older skunk, which blew off a bit. Older Bordeaux aromas of leather, etc. Fully mature. (3846 views) | | | Tasted by sdr on 9/1/1994 & rated 91 points: Amazingly good. Distinctive. Earthy and bricky. Long and powerful. (738 views) | | | Tasted by peteng on 11/11/1989: -- (2305 views) |
| Château Lafon-Rochet Producer website – Read more about Chateau Lafon RochetRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Estèphe Read more about St. Estephe and its wines Whereas the first activity recorded in Saint-Estèphe goes back as far as the Middle Bronze Age, the first vines date from the Roman Occupation. But it was the Bordeaux merchants who by aging and selling Saint-Estèphe wines themselves were largely responsible for this appellation's fame. And in the nineteenth century, noted for its prosperity, the great estates of today were created. The movement continues today with the merging of small estates.
A land of great wines, Saint-Estèphe is situated almost in the centre of the Médoc, close to the Gironde Estuary. The appellation is equidistant from Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave.
The beds of soil are characterized by their remarkable diversity, the result of their undulating relief and excellent drainage. Quartz and well-rounded pebbles mingled with light, sandy surface soil are found everywhere, giving the wines a distinctive finesse. And the subsoil is made up of the famous Saint-Estèphe limestone, which outcrops on the west of the commune.
Tasting
Thanks to ideal conditions of climate and geology, Saint-Estèphe wines are characterized by their sturdy qualities and robust constitution. Accordingly, they can be laid down for a very long time while yet preserving their youth and freshness. Distinguished by a subsoil which is more clayey than that in the other communal appellations which lie by the river, the wine here attains a distinctive individuality : a very rich tannic structure, a fine deep red colour and an exceptional backbone with aromas of great finesse.
Production conditions (Decree dated September 11, 1936):
In order to have the right to the Saint-Estèphe appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Saint-Estèphe, "excluding any parcels in that area which are situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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