2003 Château Lafon-Rochet, St Estèphe, Bordeaux

Saint-Estèphe is the northernmost of the most important communes of the Médoc, bordering Pauillac on its southernmost border, with only a gully and stream separating it from Ch. Lafite Rothschild. The wines can appear austere in youth, but the best typically display good depth of colour, pronounced acidity and tannins in youth, and are exceptionally long-lived. At their best, they are the equal of almost any Bordeaux.