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Chateau Lafon-Rochet

St. Estèphe

Location:  This chateau is one of the five classified properties in the appellation of St. Estèphe.  It's neighbors include Cos d'Estournel and Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

Vineyard:  The vineyard covers 40 hectares and is planted with the classical grape varieties of the Medoc: Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (40%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) .  It has a gravelly soil over a clay and limestone subsoil.  The vines have an average age of 30 years and are planted to a density of 9,000 vines per hectare.  All harvesting is done by hand with an average annual yield of 50 hectoliters per hectare.  Yearly production of the first wine is 12,000 cases.

Second Wine:  A second wine is produced in most years called Numéro 2 du Château Lafon-Rochet.  Average production is 8,000 cases per year.

Vinification:  Fermentation takes from 6 to 8 days with a total of 2-3 weeks in the vats.  The vats are water cooled for temperature control.  The wine rests in oak casks from 15 to 20 months depending on the vintage.  40% of the casks are replaced each year.  A fining with egg whites takes place before bottling to clarify the wine.

History:  This ancient estate dates to the middle of the 17th century, when, in 1650, Antoinette de Guillemotte, brought the land of 'Rochette' as her dowry to her husband, Pierre de Lafon, a Councillor in the Bordeaux Parliament.   It soon took on the name of its owner, and became Château Lafon-Rochet.

The chateau remained in the hands of the Lafon family well past the French revolution.  They built its reputation and were included in the 1855 classification of the Medoc region as a 4th growth.  It was one of only five members to come from St-Estèphe.  Madame Lafon de Camarsac died in 1880 and the estate changed hands several times and fell in reputation until it was purchased in 1959 by cognac producer, Guy Tesseron.  It has been slowly but surely restored since that time.

Visits:  The chateau receives visitors by appointment only on week days.