2010 Lafon Rochet

Opens with a punch of crunchy black fruits, blueberry and cassis with touches of tomato leaf and cumin. Good spicy notes, well structured tannins, but lacks depth through the mid palate compared to very best in the appellation.

The 2010 Lafon-Rochet is noticeably deep in color. It has a vivacious and sophisticated bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, wild hedgerow and crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with powerful black fruit mixed with black pepper, clove and sage, developing more depth and grip towards the finish with superb persistence and structure. Impressive. (NM)

Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Lafon-Rochet comes bounding out of the glass with sit-up-and-beg notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie and blueberry preserves followed by suggestions of Chinese five spice, potpourri and tilled soil. Full-bodied and concentrated, with loads of black and blue fruit layers, it has a rock-solid backbone of grainy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long and fragrant.