Chateau Lafon Rochet Grand Cru Classe, 2010, Saint Estephe

Critic Score: 17/20 Jancis Robinson, 93/100 Tim Atkin MW

When to drink: 2017 to 2046

Château Lafon-Rochet is a wine producer located in Saint-Estèphe, the northernmost appellation in the Medoc. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in the vineyards, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wines are made in either a Merlot- or Cabernet-dominant style depending on the vintage.

The property dates back to the 17th Century and was given fourth growth status in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc and Graves. By the late 1950s, the estate was in a state of disrepair, the vineyards were sparse, and the winery was unusable.

Guy Tesseron (of the Tesseron family – internationally known as Cognac producers) took over the château in 1960 and set about restoring the estate. The ferment room and wine storehouse were rebuilt and restored. The château building was knocked down and rebuilt.

The family members decided to paint the manor house yellow and change the labels on both the grand vin and second wine to reflect this. The yellow remains an aspect of the estate's branding today.

The vineyards, which are atop gravel, clay and sand soils, were replanted to give a more consistent style of wine. The property covers 45 hectares (10 acres).

There are approximately 40 individual parcels of grapes in the Lafon-Rochet vineyard, all of which are vinified separately in the winery in a mixture of cement, stainless steel and temperature-controlled vats. Some 60 percent of the total production goes into the grand vin, whereas the remaining 40 percent is kept for the second wine, Les Pèlerins de Lafon-Rochet.

Grapes from the older vines, which are more intense and complex in flavor, are set aside for the grand vin, while those off the younger vines go into the blend for the second wine.

Guy Tesseron handed over control of the estate to son Michel (Michel's brother, Alfred, took over Pontet-Canet, which Guy had bought in 1975). Between 2007 and 2021, the château was headed-up by Michel's son, Basile, and two new vat rooms were constructed between 2014 and 2016.

In September 2021, it was announced that Franco-Swiss real-estate billionaire Jacky Lorenzetti, owner of châteaux Pédesclaux, Lilian-Ladouys and d'Issan, was in the process of acquiring the château and that 2021 would be Tesseron's last vintage at the property.