2003 Château Lafon-Rochet

Community Tasting Notes (201) Avg Score: 90.7 points

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  4/12/2024 - englishman's claret wrote: 87 Points

  Lafon Rochet certainly shows the vintage character with a nose of cooked and dried fruits: prune, cooked fig, and kirsch. Paradoxically the palate offers fresher fruit at times - still sweet but not stewed - and accented by a little floral appeal and soy sauce. Despite its 21 years, the palate remains grippingly tannic. Happily the 14% ABV (as labeled) doesn't seem particularly conspicuous. Striking Lapsang souchong, beef blood finish. This bottle, in excellent condition, requires some time for the fruit to awaken on the palate and shows its best with 30 minutes - 2 hours of time in the decanter. This has its merits, but the nose is marked enough by the vintage that I find it hard to love. I could imagine that more vivacity earlier in life could have imparted a better impression than tonight's bottle.

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  1/4/2024 - 1wine1 Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Still wonderful but drink it this year

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  5/29/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points

  Twelfth bottle from a full case purchased from a Dutch wholesaler in 2005. Pristine condition, perfect level, perfect cork. Opened and decanted two hours in advance. On fine form, closer to the harmonious elegance of the 10th bottle (7 June 2022) than the burly power of the 11th (14 February 2023). Ripe cherry fruit, lovely freshness, leather and cedar evolution, graphite minerality, creamy texture, hint of black tea on the finish. This case has served me very well.

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  4/25/2023 - chatters wrote:

  En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Double Magnum. Smoked bacon, sweet spice, savoury black fruits in support, earth, leather and alcohol warmth. Juicy, fleshy, dark hued fruits; sweet spice followed by massive drying tannins, off, time but I don't this will ever be in balance.

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  4/16/2023 - brybts Likes this wine: 86 Points

  Overall: well integrated, balanced wine, but fruit is drying out and seems to be over the hill
  
  Nose: soil, cinnamon, clove, smells a bit like a barrel cellar, subtle fruit is way in the background; some leather, cedar
  
  Palate: medium acidity helps with freshness; completely integrated, soft tannins. Fruit is subtle- blackberries only. Earthy, spicy notes, some citrus rind; body is medium
  
  Finish: medium-short, mouthwatering, not bitter but maybe a bit sour

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