Chateau Lafon Rochet, 4eme Cru, St. Estephe 2006

Château Lafon-Rochet is one of Saint-Estèphe’s best-known estates, instantly recognisable thanks to its bright yellow château and its place in the historic 1855 Bordeaux classification as a Fourth Growth. The vineyard sits on a single block overlooking the Gironde estuary, where gravel and clay soils give the wine structure and depth that this part of the Médoc does so well. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way, supported by Merlot with small touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, bringing layers of blackberry and cassis alongside notes of cedar, graphite and tobacco. There’s classic Saint-Estèphe power here, though today the style feels more polished, with tannins that are refined rather than firm. Structured, confident and built to age wonderfully, it’s the sort of Bordeaux that reminds you why the Left Bank still sets the standard.