Pretty aromas of menthol and other spices and red fruits. Full to medium body with fine tannins and a refined finish.

This wine seems to be one of the few that has not yet recovered from bottling. In a somewhat monolithic, latched-down style, it has plenty of stuffing, lots of structure and an impressive dark ruby/purple color, but it is very hard to coax from the glass. It is a rather classic St.-Estephe made by the Tesseron family, with its distinctive blood orange label, but this wine seems to beg for another 5-7 years of bottle age. The final blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc has some impressive fruit, but the wine just seems slightly more clipped and narrow than I remember it from barrel. Hopefully, time will mellow out this impression. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035.

This is a chateau that is getting better and better. This 2009 is packed with sweet fruit, impressive tannins and a complex dark structure. It is fruity, yet powerful, for good aging.

Juicy and very lively, with lots of briar, currant, cherry, toasty spice and anise notes all framed by bright floral and iron hints. The long finish has excellent cut and drive. Best from 2013 through 2021. 11,250 cases made. –JM

The 2009 Lafon-Rochet has a splendid bouquet with dark cherries, iodine, violet and iris flower, certainly the most precocious Lafon-Rochet on the nose thus far. The palate is medium-bodied with very good concentration, rounded in texture and counterbalanced with a fine bead of acidity. Layers of red fruit mixed with spice and cedar demonstrate acceptable length.