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.

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. Tasted at the Lafon-Rochet vertical at the property. June 2023

(66 % cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 3% petit verdot; 3.75 pH; 89 IPT 89; 14% alcohol) Dark ruby-red. Deep, pure, perfumed aromas of black fruits, cured tobacco and black tea. Brawny and a bit chunky on the palate with a minty quality to the black fruit and flint flavors. Finishes with big, chewy tannins and a persistent note of cassis. Shows a creamy texture and plenty of palate weight but seems a little unrefined presently. This will need a good eight to ten years in the bottle to harmonize fully and should go on for another 20 after that. Incidentally, I sampled this wine three times and once it was vegetal and green; my guess is that it was the sample. The other two samples were superb, and are the basis for my score.

This has a nice winey core of dark plum and macerated black cherry fruit, followed by racy acidity and flashes of violet and graphite. Sneakily long. -J.M.

I had some bottle variation with this blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The 2010 from Lafon Rochet seemed slightly restrained and closed down on the three occasions I tasted it in Bordeaux. Dense black/ruby, it displays sweet tannin, excellent purity, fresh fruit and a very primary, almost grapy style with lots of fruit, but at the same time, a somewhat monolithic character. It should turn out fine, but it certainly needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring and should drink well for up to two decades. Drink: 2020 - 2040

The property is owned by the Tesseron family and run by the newest generation, son Basile, who is converting the estate to biodynamic farming a la his uncle, Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet.
-Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #205 Feb 2013

(92-94 pts)
Proprietor Basile Tesseron may have produced his finest Lafon Rochet to date. The 2010's inky/blue/purple color is followed by a distinctive bouquet of spring flowers, blueberry pie, blackberry liqueur and crushed rocks. Although a classified growth, this wine is an undeniable sleeper of the vintage as its price remains reasonable. The wine possesses terrific structure, ripe tannins and a voluminous, broad, deep impression on the palate. The fruit intensity, purity and richness suggest 4-5 years of cellaring will be required and the wine will last for 20+ years.

Tasted blind. Deep garnet with opaque core. Rich and full of black fruit as well as mocha. Supple, with the flavour and texture of very dark chocolate. Quite mature in flavour but with a way to go in structure and a surprising lightness and elegance on the finish. (JH)

Easygoing fruit with a little farmyard funkiness underneath. Quite tart and maybe a little bit unclean? (RH)