Château LAFON-ROCHET 1996
Château Lafon-Rochet is located in Saint-Estèphe , in the Bordeaux wine region. It was classified as the Fourth Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. Guy Tesseron took over the château in 1960 and undertook the restoration of the estate. The family members decided to paint the mansion yellow and change the wine labels. Guy Tesseron hands over the management of the estate to his son Michel, then between 2007 and 2021, the château is managed by Michel's son, Basile, and two new vat rooms are built between 2014 and 2016. In 2021, the Franco-Swiss real estate billionaire Jacky Lorenzetti (owner of Châteaux Pédesclaux, Lilian-Ladouys and d'Issan) buys Lafon-Rochet. The Lafon-Rochet vineyard has around 40 individual plots of grapes, over 45 hectares.
Château Lafon-Rochet 1996 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (56%), and Cabernet Franc (4%) . Vinification by parcel is carried out in stainless steel vats, then the wine is aged for a minimum of 12 months in barrels . The 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was extremely good : a mild winter and a warm spring with a month of March bringing significant heat. A hot and dry September favored the ripening of the grapes, which particularly benefited the Médoc. The harvest was a complete success. Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly from the Médoc, has produced tannic, structured, very concentrated wines that are suitable for ageing.
Grapes: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 56% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc