2023 Pelerins de Lafon Rochet
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Tasting notes
The 2023 Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet has a light, gravelly bouquet with tertiary black fruit, touches of blackcurrant leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly dry tannins, approachable thanks to the 56% Merlot content, just a touch of cracked black pepper on the finish. Early drinking.
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Neal Martin
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet is very primal on the nose with a mixture of cassis and black plums—a little floral in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet entry and fleshy tannins. The 56% Merlot controls the style of this wine; it’s quite approachable on the lightly spiced finish. This is a fine offering. It just needs two to three years in bottle.
The 2023 Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet is a terrific second wine. It offers lovely forward fruit intermingled with complicating Saint-Estèphe savoriness and earthiness. Dark plum, licorice, lavender, dried herbs and menthol open with air, rounding things out. The tannins are perhaps a bit large in grain, but this is a second wine, after all.
Spice and intense black fruits, lavendar and blueberry, fresh acidities. This estate continues its careful reworking, focusing first on the vineyard, ensuring full ripeness of the vines to tease out its St Estèphe personality. Ageing in a mix of one year old barrels and 1,300l oak casks. Final year of organic conversion, certification in 2024, 42hl/h yield. Christophe Congé technical director, Jacky Lorenzetti owner.
About the producer
Instantly recognisable for its sunshine-yellow château and labels, Ch. Lafon-Rochet is a Fourth Growth Saint-Estèphe estate renowned for its age-worthy wines. Quality at the property has increased significantly over the last two decades and, with new owners from 2021, this will only continue.