2025 Chateau Lafon Rochet

The 2025 Lafon-Rochet was picked from September 9 to 23 and matured in less new oak than usual, around 15%, with more foudres, 40%, including around one-third new from Stockinger and Taransaud. I think the influence of the new foudres is tangible on the nose and at the moment just masks a little of the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, classic and a little austere in style, very Saint-Estèphe with an off-dry finish. I would have liked just a little more sustain and complexity, but it delivers an attractive salinity on the aftertaste. - Neal Martin (05/2026)

A dense, chocolaty and focused red showing generous fruit and bark on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, chewy tannins. Textural, with nice concentration and a long, vivid, flavorful finish.  
- Kevin Davy (04/2026) 

A serious, focused wine from this Saint-Estèphe château, the 2025 Château Lafon-Rochet offers darker, juicy blue fruits, leafy herbs, graphite, and liquid violets and spring flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's structured and concentrated, with integrated acidity and outstanding length. Based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot that will spend 14 months in 15% new French oak with the balance in foudre and concrete tanks, it's a solid, more structured, yet still fleshy Lafon-Rochet that's going to benefit from bottle age. (05/2026) 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Lafon-Rochet slides out with ready-to-go notes of fresh red currants and kirsch, giving way to hints of wet slate, dried sage, and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is savory and refreshing with lightly chewy tannins and an energetic finish. The blend is 29% Merlot, 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 12.7%. (04/2026)

The 2025 Lafon-Rochet reveals a fresh, gourmand bouquet of dark wild berries and blackberry, becoming more floral with aeration. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and structured, it shows a firm profile that is less immediately charming on the palate than the nose suggests. It's built around a fleshy core of fruit that is framed by youthful, finely grained tannins and concludes with a delicate, perfumed finish. It should offer both early approachability and solid aging potential. It's a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, matured in a mix of 15% new oak, 40% foudres and 10% concrete. (04/2026)