The Story
The grapes follow the same grandmother’s recipe for the cultivation of old apple trees, of which apples have more taste, a genuine flavour and a very particular length that is not only due to the variety but at the age of this apple tree.
Coming from the oldest wines of the vineyard, they bear less fruit, but offer greater complexity. Lafon-Rochet is a wine that is both simple and complex, it expresses aromas of black fruit in most vintages. There is truly a blend and features specific to Saint-Estèphe, a certain warmth and roundness, full of delicacy coming from Merlot’s grape variety.
Lafon-Rochet’s history dates back to the 17th century. The property was then known as the Domaine Rochet and belonged to Antoinette Guillemotes who renamed the estate Château Lafon-Rochet after her marriage with Etienne de Lafon..
Over the 150 years that followed, Etienne de Lafon’s heirs not only maintained the estate and coped with the various diseases and economic difficulties from which the vineyard suffered but also enabled Lafon-Rochet to enter the 1855 classification of the Grands crus du Médoc (the Great Growths of the Medoc).
At the dawn of the 20th century financial difficulties resurfaced and so new owners took over the Château. Thus began a long period of instability until the Tesseron family took over the estate in 1960.
Wine Information
1966 is an outstanding year for very classic and delicate wines. However, the year started out as anything but promising. The major rainfall that started at the end of June continued into July, but the hot start to August dried the soil and the weather gradually improved toward autumn, until it was nearly perfect for the harvest.
These wines share a truly classic, graceful and high-quality character so typical of Bordeaux wines, thus making them elegant and well balanced. Today many of these are still good. If carefully stored, many of the best wines may still mature, but the following rule of thumb should be observed: drink or sell them off immediately. In our opinion, this is one of the finest vintages that can be purchased today. Nearly all the AOC wines are still in excellent condition, and the top examples, such as the Palmer, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafleur and Pétrus, are excellent. There is a wide selection of nicely priced First, Second and Third growth wines on the market. For example, the Cos d’Estournel, Calon-Ségur and Lynch-Bages offer an exceptional price-quality ratio. As a rule, a one hour decanting is sufficient.
Price trends for this vintage no longer show any significant upward movement – the increase in price over the past ten years has been around 55%. The rise in price will continue alongside the maturation of top wines perhaps until 2015, when any wines still surviving should be removed from the cellar and sold or drunk immediately.
Vintage 1966
1966 was an exceptional year in Bordeaux for very classic and delicate wines. However, the year started off as anything but promising. The main rainfall that began in late June continued into July, but the hot start to August dried out the soil and the weather gradually improved towards autumn, until it is almost perfect for harvest.
These wines share a truly classic, graceful and high quality character so typical of Bordeaux wines, making them elegant and balanced. Today, many of them are still good. If carefully stored, many of the best wines can still mature, but the following rule of thumb should be observed: drink them or sell them immediately. In our opinion, this is one of the finest vintages you can buy today. Almost all AOC wines are still in excellent condition, and the best examples, such as Palmer, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafleur and Pétrus, are excellent. There is a wide selection of well-priced first, second and third growth wines on the market. For example, Cos d’Estournel, Calon-Ségur and Lynch-Bages offer exceptional value for money. As a general rule, decanting for one hour is sufficient.
The price development of this vintage no longer shows any significant upward movement – the price increase over the last ten years has been around 55%. Rising prices will continue as the best wines mature, perhaps until 2020, when any surviving wines should be removed from the cellar and sold or drunk immediately.
