Château Lafon-Rochet

The history of Château Lafon-Rochet

The history of Château Lafon-Rochet dates back to the 17th century, when Antoinette de Guillemotes, the owner of Domaine Rochet, married Étienne de Lafon. The estate was then renamed and adopted its definitive name of Château Lafon-Rochet.

1855 was a landmark year for the estate, which entered the Grands Crus Classés ranking among the 61 Bordeaux Châteaux selected for presentation at the Paris Universal Exhibition.

In 1960, Château Lafon-Rochet was bought by Guy Tesseron. He ran the estate until 1999, when he handed it over to his children, Michel Tesseron and Caroline Poniatowski.

In 2000, Château Lafon-Rochet underwent extensive renovation, including the modernization of its production facilities.

In 2007, Michel Tesseron handed over the estate to his son, Basile. From 2014, the new manager optimized the operation with the construction of two new wineries, one in stainless steel, the other in concrete.

The Château Lafon-Rochet vineyard

The Château Lafon-Rochet vineyard covers 41 hectares planted with red grapes. The grape varieties are 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Average annual production is 180,000 bottles.

The vineyard belongs to the Médoc region, which means "land between two seas", the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde estuary to the east. The vineyard extends over two hillsides of Saint Estèphe. The vines benefit from the quality of the gravel, which ensures natural drainage of the soil, while the clay regulates the quantity of water, according to the needs of the grapes.

The grapes for Château Lafon-Rochet's first wine come from vines that are at least 35 years old. The oldest vines date back to 1938. Although their production is quantitatively smaller, it gives the wine its great complexity.

The wines of Château Lafon-Rochet

Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet's first wine is made from grapes grown on the estate's oldest vines. The wine is both simple and complex. All the vintages offer very prominent black fruit aromas, but each then expresses a multitude of nuances.

The other thing all vintages have in common is the warmth and roundness of Saint Estèphe wines. Merlot is no stranger to the finesse that underpins production year after year.

Château Lafon-Rochet lends itself perfectly to ageing, which magnifies each of its qualities.

Les Pèlerins de Lafon-Rochet
The estate's second cuvée is called Les Pèlerins de Lafon-Rochet. It is made from younger vines. It's a less complex wine, but nonetheless richly aromatic.

Les Pèlerins de Lafon-Rochet lends itself well to ageing, but can also be enjoyed young.