2022 Château Lafon-Rochet, Cru Classé St-Estèphe

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.

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.

The inaugural vintage for winemaker Christophe Congé, the 2022 Lafon-Rochet is an ambitiously styled blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Offering up aromas of crème de cassis, burning embers and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with supple, generously extracted tannins and a rather lavish, demonstrative profile. It's a wine crafted to grab one's attention, but if élevage is kind to it, it may make my score seem conservative.

This shows a terrific tannin backbone with blackcurrants and berries. Medium body. Solid fruit. Vivid. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 4% cabernet franc.

The 2022 Lafon-Rochet is fabulous. Once again, Lafon-Rochet is the most elegant wine in Saint-Estèphe. There's a bit more richness and mid-palate intensity than in the past, likely a combination of the year and the approach of the new team headed by Technical Director Christophe Congé, who was formerly at Lafite-Rothschild. The 2022 signals a new era for the château that is likely to see a greater focus on selection and a slightly richer style. Even so, the signatures of Lafon-Rochet are evident. It's an exciting time.