The know-how of a Team
Our winegrowers tend to our vineyards on a daily basis throughout the year, with precise and adapted measures, careful pruning, and respect for the exceptional terroir of Château Lafon-Rochet.
We listen to our wines: we observe them, we take care of them, we adapt to their needs.
We pay equal attention to the winemaking as we do to the planting clones and varietals to suit Château Lafon-Rochet’s soils.
From the vineyard to the cellar, everything is done with respect for our traditions; excellence, precision, and the constant questioning of what we do and why we do it.
Winemaking requires knowledge, attention, sensitivity and, sure enough, a bit of luck in the face of the natural world.
Before each bottle reaches your hands, the final touches are made with care in the winery, from the label, to the capsule, and finally the case.
The sales and wine tourism teams always seek to share our story with passion and dynamism, helping you to discover the great wine that lies behind it.
Château Lafon-Rochet is made thanks to the efforts of all the men and women who have been working here for years – some for their entire careers. The resultant family spirit is central to the identity of the estate.
SUNLIGHT OF
SAINT-ESTÈPHE
The Vines
Nature is often capricious, requiring constant attention and efforts to tame it.
The vines are treated with precision and tradition, as work is carried out in accordance with the seasons. In the autumn, the soil is prepared; in the winter, pruning, bending, and trellising take place; spring and summer sees pruning, lifting, leaf removal, green harvesting, and finally manual harvesting.
Combined with a deep knowledge of the soils, our grape growing experience allows us to ensure we are planting the right grape variety in the right place, giving nature the best opportunity to work its magic. The grape varieties, typical of the Médoc, are planted on 45 hectares of gravel and clay-limestone soils.
At Château Lafon-Rochet, we only execute viticultural practices that are respectful of the environment. We therefore work on our soils and our vines with extreme meticulousness throughout the year.
In September, harvest begins. For the past 30 years, a team of around forty grape pickers have been coming from a village in northern Portugal to harvest the fruit of a year’s labour entirely by hand.
The Cellars
Two cellars, one with 21 concrete vats and the other with 19 stainless steel vats, were completely refurbished in 2015 and now house each year’s harvest.
Vinification remains traditional, with a preference for gentle extractions that last around three weeks. Some of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in barrels, while both of our wines are aged for 12 to 14 months in exclusively French barrels.
We focus our attention on creating a Grand Vin which combines freshness and tension, and a Second Wine that offers suppleness, fruit, and refinement. Over the last decade we have increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, which can make up to around 70% of our first wine blend, depending on the vintage.
