The Estate

The sunlight of Saint-Estèphe

The golden-yellow exterior of Château Lafon-Rochet can be seen from afar as one ascends Bordeaux’s D2 road, which winds through some of the greatest Médoc vineyards. It is a colour that is both bold and warm, reflecting those who play a part in the making of its wines, who are guided by commitment and passion.

At Château Lafon-Rochet, every goal, every action, is aimed at preserving what is most precious to us: the complex and unique terroir on which our vines grow.

It is a daily duty that we perform with passion. It is a story that we continue to write and tell with joy. It is a wine that sings, whose song we share with pleasure.

The diversity of Château Lafon-Rochet’s soils, comprising a composition of gravel (providing excellent natural drainage) and blue clay deposits, creates a strikingly unique terroir that our team has worked tirelessly to understand in order to bring out its fullest potential. We believe that a great terroir is required to make a great wine – a philosophy that spurs our commitment to preserving its richness.

The legacy of history

Château Lafon-Rochet is one of the oldest estates in Saint-Estèphe, with origins dating back to the 16th century.
Initially known as “Domaine de Rochet”, it was renamed “Château Lafon-Rochet” in 1650 following the marriage of its owner, Antoinette de Guillemotes, to Étienne de Lafon.
Château Lafon-Rochet saw two centuries of winegrowing during which the vineyard grew and improved dramatically, culminating in its awarding of the title of Quatrième Grand Cru Classé at the Official Classification of 1855.

A family history

In 1960,

Guy Tesseron – a passionate visionary bought the property and undertook a complete restructuring of the vineyard while building a new château, the original having been destroyed by fire.
He passed the baton to his son Michel in 1999, who undertook major work on the winemaking facilities as well as on the château itself, which was repainted in 2000 with the famous golden-yellow colour that would later become the colour of Château Lafon-Rochet’s labels and an iconic marker of its wines.

Basile, the third generation of the Tesseron family, took over in 2007 and continued to take Château Lafon-Rochet to further heights, installing two new cellars – one stainless steel and the other concrete.

At the end of 2021,

the Lorenzetti family acquired Château Lafon-Rochet, catalysing the birth of Vignobles Cruse-Lorenzetti, whose portfolio also includes :

Château d’Issan, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Margaux
Château Pédesclaux, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, Pauillac
Château Lilian Ladouys, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estèphe.

The property is now managed by Christophe Congé, in close collaboration with third-generation vigneron, Emmanuel Cruse.

2021

The Lorenzetti family acquires Château Lafon-Rochet.

2020

The estate begins its conversion to Organic Agriculture.

2019

The estate embarks on a vast agroecology project.

2014-2016

Two new cellars are built at Château Lafon-Rochet; one stainless steel, the other concrete.

2007

The third generation of the family, Basile Tesseron takes over the business with a renewed and eager passion.

2000

Michel Tesseron repaints the château a golden yellow and modernises the production facilities.

1960

Guy Tesseron becomes the owner of Château Lafon-Rochet.

1855

Among the 61 Médoc châteaux selected to be presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, Château Lafon-Rochet enters the classification of Grands Crus Classés.