Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2005 Lafon-Rochet has a very expressive bouquet with raspberry, blackberry, briary, black pepper and light sous- bois scents. The palate is medium-bodied with tobacco-tinged red and black fruit, beautifully balanced with good substance. This is fresh and saline on the finish. The 2005 is a really superb Lafon-Rochet that will continue to drink well for several years. Tasted at the Lafon-Rochet vertical at the property.
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Wine & Spirits
A sweet violet aroma adds to this wine's finesse while gravelly tannins give it a classical St-Estèphe profile. It feels sleek, firm and finely crafted, with meaty density of fruit that will sustain it for years to come.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
The best of the St. Estephes if you measure "goodness" by the old-fashioned model of tight fruit and tighter tannins, this solid youngster will let you put it away for ten or twenty years before rewarding you for the effort. There is no mistaking that is has a good grip on Cabernet character just as there is no mistaking its tannic grip on your palate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
At present, this structured, backward 2005 is dominated by the vintage's substantial tannins. It exhibits a saturated ruby/purple color, a reticent but promising bouquet of sweet black fruits intermixed with weedy tobacco, licorice, and leather characteristics. Medium-bodied and powerful, with excruciating tannin, but promising potential, patience is most definitely required. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030.
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Wine Spectator
Has notes of blackberry, with Indian spices and green tea. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins, a silky texture and a medium finish. Balanced and very refined. A beautiful young wine.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Deeply colored, concentrated, and distinctive, St. Estephe is the go-to for great, age-worthy and reliable Bordeaux reds. Separated from Pauillac merely by a stream, St. Estephe is the farthest northwest of the highest classed villages of the Haut Medoc and is therefore subject to the most intense maritime influence of the Atlantic.
St. Estephe soils are rich in gravel like all of the best sites of the Haut Medoc but here the formation of gravel over clay creates a cooler atmosphere for its vines compared to those in the villages farther downstream. This results in delayed ripening and wines with higher acidity compared to the other villages.
While they can seem a bit austere when young, St. Estephe reds prove to live very long in the cellar. Traitionally dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, many producers now add a significant proportion of Merlot to the blend, which will soften any sharp edges of the more tannic, Cabernet.
The St. Estephe village contains two second growths, Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel.