Lafon-Rochet St-Estèphe 2022

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The 2022 Lafon-Rochet is pure class. Silky, aromatic and gracious, Lafon-Rochet is quite possibly the most under-the-radar Saint-Estèphe. Bright blue/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, mint and spice are all beautifully delineated. A wine of sublime elegance and class, Lafon-Rochet is exquisite in 2022. Drink: 2028-2047. (Jan 2025)"

94-96 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "Rich in color, the wine is floral, with pepper, spice, tobacco leaf, currants, and blackberries. Medium-bodied, fresh, soft, ripe, round, and polished, with blackberries, black cherries, chocolate, spice, and cedar nuances. The fruits are fresh, bright, and creamy. Give this just a few years in the bottle and it promise to be even better! The wine was made from blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.77 pH. This is the first vintage with the new owner, Jackie Lorenzetti, and the team of Emmanuel Cruse, fully in charge. Drink from 2025-2045. (May 2023)"

95 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "An exceptional wine in 2022. Fresh and fragrant lovely strawberry and red cherry notes on the nose. Smooth and round, generous and deep, a lovely immediate intensity of flavour while keeping a sleek and tense expression. Gorgeous weight in the mouth, supple, and nicely fruited but with density and roundness. Feels really well worked, so defined and detailed, a lovely precision. Nothing feels out of place and it has a very drinkable and approachable quality, still with a dark liquorice and dark chocolate edge and some graphite touches. Extremely complete and well made with control and finesse. Total acidity: 3.35. 3.77pH. Drinking Window: 2027-2048. (Apr 2023)"

93-95+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "One of the bigger, more structured wines in Saint-Estèphe, the 2022 Château Lafon-Rochet checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. Ripe blackcurrants, smoky blue fruits, scorched earth, and chocolate all define the aromatics, and this concentrated, medium to full-bodied, powerful wine has ample mid-palate depth, ripe yet significant tannins, and a great finish. It's not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, of cellaring. It's a beautiful wine though, worthy of purchasing and cellaring. (5/10/23)"

93-95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Lafon-Rochet has a pH of 3.77 and a TPI of 83. It has a deep garnet-purple color and after a bit of shaking it erupts with intense scents of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries, and kirsch, followed by hints of underbrush, camphor and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and yet possesses lovely freshness, featuring ripe, grainy tannins and loads of mineral sparks which lift the ripe black fruit to a long finish. Impressive effort for the first full vintage under the new management! Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2028-2054. (5/14/23)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot). Baked plum, damson, black pepper, edges of cut herbs and dried rose petals, campfire smoke and soot. This is intense but has an aromatic quality that hugs through the palate, and the tannins are plentiful but well controlled. 50% new oak plus some large oak casks, and 400l barrels; almost 60% 1st wine, down from 70% last year (in a better vintage this year, really an indication of the focus on quality under the new team). Harvest September 12 to 27. Eric Boissenot consultant together wtih director Christophe Congé, ex Lafite, in his first full vintage. As of 2024 this will be the first Cru Classé in St Estèphe to be certified organic. Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2030-2046. (4/18/23)"

94 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of fine herbal spices, black cherry, and blackberry confit. The palate is powerful and taut with good freshness, dark nougat and an accentuated minerality on the finish, with ripe plum and cherry notes on the aftertaste. A textured food wine with the potential for further development. (5/11/23)"

94 points Zekun Shuai (JamesSuckling.com): "Deep and ripe but still very demure on the nose, with dark chocolate, cigar box, blackcurrants, white pepper and a touch of graphite. Very juicy and nicely chewy on the palate, with a full body and a tight, lengthy finish. This won’t be approachable until 2029. (1/10/25)"