2009 Lafon Rochet

The 2009 Lafon-Rochet has a splendid bouquet with dark cherries, iodine, violet and iris flower, certainly the most precocious Lafon-Rochet on the nose thus far. The palate is medium-bodied with very good concentration, rounded in texture and counterbalanced with a fine bead of acidity. Layers of red fruit mixed with spice and cedar demonstrate acceptable length. Tasted at the Lafon-Rochet vertical at the property.

The 2009 Lafon-Rochet feels just a little pinched at first, but it soon opens with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and antique armchair aromas. Very fine delineation here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and very fine tannin, pure black fruit laced with cedar and black pepper, segueing into a slightly earthy but persistent finish. Maybe it just needs a little more grip but otherwise this is a great Lafon-Rochet from Basile Tesseron. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.