The 2011 Rocheyron represents the estate's first full operating vintage from Peter Sisseck and Silvio Denz's Saint-Emilion property, the inaugural 2010 having been Sisseck's maiden harvest at a property he considers still in the process of revealing its full limestone potential. By 2011 Sisseck was beginning to understand the unique character of the Rocheyron terroir, and while the vintage is described as somewhat simpler than the more complex 2012 that followed, the estate's fundamental commitment to organic viticulture and limestone expression was already in place.

The 2011 Bordeaux vintage across Saint-Emilion was mixed: a dry, warm start to the growing season was interrupted by wet conditions in August and then a dry, warm September that rescued the harvest. The result was a vintage of variable quality depending on how precisely the picking decision was managed. For Rocheyron, a young estate finding its footing in the appellation, 2011 provided useful experience with the limestone soils' response to a challenging year. Peter Sisseck himself has noted that the estate considers 2010 and 2011 to be early learning vintages before the character of the property began to emerge fully in 2012 and beyond.

At fourteen years of age, the 2011 Rocheyron is in its mature drinking window, the initial tannins having softened and the fruit evolving toward the mineral, savory complexity that Sisseck's limestone terroir is capable of producing. For buyers interested in tracking the estate's development from its earliest years, the 2011 provides an instructive comparison point alongside the more accomplished 2012 and subsequent vintages.

Drink now through 2028. Pair with roast chicken, duck or lighter beef preparations. Decant one hour and serve at 16 degrees Celsius.

Mature garnet with some brick. The nose shows the forward, savory character noted by critics, with cherry, warm earth, herbs and a mineral thread from the limestone. The palate is medium-bodied with soft, mature tannins and a clean, rounded finish. Accessible now; reflects an early vintage from a property still learning its terroir.