Chateau Lafon Rochet,St Estephe 2001

The 2001 vintage has produced some of the most elegant and sophisticated wines of recent years.  The wines do not have the depth of a great vintage like 2005, nor do they have the immediate weight and intensity of 2003.  It place of these characteristics the wines have a delicate charm and are perfectly balanced.

Performing much better than it did from barrel, Lafon-Rochet’s 2001 exhibits a dark ruby/purple color along with complex aromas of underbrush, melted licorice, black fruits, and tree bark. Smooth, polished tannins are found in this medium to full-bodied, monolithic but attractive, well-endowed St.-Estephe. It is revealing more aromatic development and depth than I originally suspected. Robert Parker.