Chateau Lafon-Rochet Saint-Estephe 2007 750 ML

Chateau Lafon-Rochet is a property that is impossible to miss off the D2, a picturesque wine route that weaves its way through the MEdoc. The structure is a brightly painted sunny yellow color, and unlike some of the more formidable estates with their drawbridges, moats and guard towers, the atmosphere here is distinctly modern and cheery. The story of Chateau Lafon-Rochet is a long and redemptive one with its share of hardships yet manages to have a happy ending. Once Chateau Lafon-Rochet was acquired by the Tesseron Family, the estate really managed to reinvent itsself. What was once a property near the brink of destruction is now a shining success story. Chateau Lafon-Rochet produces powerful wines that are very much worthy of its Fourth Growth title.
The inception of Chateau Lafon-Rochet dates back to the mid 17th Century, when Antoinette Guillemotes purchased the Rochet Estate as a dowry for her husband, Etienne de Lafon. The story goes the estate was named Rochet after its rocky, Saint Estephe terroir. Once the Lafon family owned the property, they changed the name to Lafon-Rochet, as was tradition of the time. The estate rose to prominence and was classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855. At the turn of the century, however, Chateau Lafon Rochet fell victim to the phylloxera plague that was destroying vineyards throughout Bordeaux. The tides of fortunes turned for the worse, and in the 1960s when the Tesserons purchased it, it was in such disrepair the buildings were rendered unusable. Always up for a challenge, Guy Tesseron spared no expense at renovating the property and Chateau Lafon-Rochet is the only Classified Growth to have had a chateau built in the 20th Century. He chose to paint the property a sunny yellow color because he wanted to celebrate the modernity of Chateau Lafon-Rochet. The estate is a family-run operation, and it’s clear they prioritize the vines above everything else.