Château Lafon-Rochet is a wine producer located in Saint-Estèphe, the northernmost appellation in the Medoc. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in the vineyards, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wines are made in either a Merlot- or Cabernet-dominant style depending on the vintage.
The property dates back to the 17th Century and was given fourth growth status in the 1855 Classification of the Medoc and Graves. By the late 1950s, the estate was in a state of disrepair, the vineyards were sparse and the winery was unusable. The Tesseron family, internationally known as Cognac producers, took over the château in 1960 and set about restoring the estate. The ferment room, wine storehouse and manor house were rebuilt and restored, and family members decided to paint the manor house yellow and change the labels on both the grand vin and second wine to reflect this. The vineyards, which are atop gravel, clay and sand soils, were replanted to give a more consistent style of wine.
There are approximately 40 individual parcels of grapes in the Lafon-Rochet vineyard, all of which are vinified separately in the winery in a mixture of cement, stainless steel and temperature-controlled vats. Some 60 percent of the total production goes into the grand vin, whereas the remaining 40 percent is kept for the second wine, Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet. Grapes from the older vines, which are more intense and complex in flavor, are set aside for the grand vin, while those off the younger vines go into the blend for the second wine.
