2015 Château Lafon-Rochet

The 2015 Lafon-Rochet has a lively, floral bouquet that opens enthusiastically with aeration to reveal blackberry, melted tar and just a touch of black truffle mixed with cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied, taut, fresh and saline, with pliant tannins and a composed, relatively fleshy finish. This is worth investigating and arguably the best value you can find on the Left Bank in this vintage. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners.

The 2015 Lafon-Rochet has a very perfumed bouquet. It's much more floral than the 2014 with rose petals, iris-infused red berry fruit, wild mint, and Provencal herbs, all beautifully defined. The palate is fleshy and rounded, with lithe tannins that frame the brisk red cherry and strawberry fruit. It's very cohesive and almost Burgundy-like towards the finish. This is a winsome Saint-Estèphe that will give much pleasure. Tasted at the Lafon-Rochet vertical at the property.

The 2015 Lafon-Rochet has a lifted, perfumed bouquet of ample blackberry and raspberry aromas. The oak here is nearly entwined with graphite and cigar box aromas developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, quite filigreed tannin (for a Saint Estèphe) that frame a smooth, quite pure blackberry and strawberry finish with plenty of white pepper on the aftertaste. This is a fine Lafon-Rochet from Basile Tesseron and his team. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.