2022 Pelerins de Lafon Rochet
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Tasting notes
The 2022 Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet has a crisp blackberry- and bilberry-scented nose with neatly integrated oak. This is quite precise for a second wine. The palate is medium-bodied and, as I wrote in my primeur report, I just found the tannins a little coarse and hard. This is a bit of a gruff Saint-Estèphe.
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Average Score
Neal Martin
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
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The second wine of Château Lafon-Rochet, the 2022 Les Pelerins De Lafon-Rochet is forward and charming, with both red and black fruits as well as medium to full body, supple tannins, good overall balance, and outstanding length.
This is the first vintage with the new Jacky Lorenzetti team, headed up by estate director Christophe Congé. A serious selection process has reduced the grapes for an already small 29hl/h yield, and you get a ton of black pepper spice and blackberry fruits, with a pretty impressive sense of tannin integration after such a hot year, all closing to a tight finish of fennel, black pepper, passion fruit and orange peel. Harvest September 12 to 27. The estate's Petit Verdot is entirely used in Les Pelerins this year. Eric Boissenot consultant (so no longer Jean Claude Berrouet).
About the producer
Instantly recognisable for its sunshine-yellow château and labels, Ch. Lafon-Rochet is a Fourth Growth Saint-Estèphe estate renowned for its age-worthy wines. Quality at the property has increased significantly over the last two decades and, with new owners from 2021, this will only continue.