Château Laroque 2021

Fragrant and a touch smoky on the nose with perfumed floral notes and ripe blackcurrants. Smooth and supple, a nice juicy intensity with high but not too searing acidity makes way for slightly austere touches against a salty mineral core. It’s lightly framed and delicate, very easy to drink and enjoy. Friendly, charming, juicy, fun, fresh and well worked. A touch savoury and minty on the finish.

The 2021 Laroque has a well-defined, complex bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, loam and tobacco scents, a touch of damp undergrowth emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry and fine acidity, slightly powdery in texture with a hint of Japanese nori on the finish. This is well worth seeking out.

Dried flowers, forest floor, licorice, cocoa, wild cherries, black raspberries and strawberries define the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, fresh, and most importantly, pure, with the essence of its sweet, ripe, mildly salty red fruits, and soft, silky tannins that make the lingering taste and feel great. The wine was made with 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025–2040.

Opaque ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fresh plums and hints of caramel with a touch of herbs and tobacco. Medium-bodied, red berries on the palate, finely woven acidity and light tannins with a salty finish. Very good with food.

The 2021 Château Laroque is another seamless, elegant wine from this larger château that readers will love. Based on just about 100% Merlot (I think there's a small amount of Cabernet Franc) brought up in 50% new oak, its vivid purple hue is followed by a lively, fresh nose of cassis and berry fruit interwoven with spring flowers, violets, and obvious minerality. Coming from a cooler, limestone terroir, it's never the biggest or richest wine in a vintage, yet its purity of fruit is exceptional, and it has polished tannins and just a remarkable sense of finesse and elegance. Give bottles 3-4 years if you can and enjoy over the following 15+.

Laroque 2021 has a dark, rich, intense color. On the nose, it is immediately expressive, with high notes of red fruit and a core aroma filled with dark fruit, showing very, very good depth and breed. The palate opens generously, very concentrated and firm, with a great, taut progression. It displays plenty of breed, supported by a delicate play of acidity. Less weighty than expected, Laroque 2021 is a very straight Saint-Émilion with a highly noble, transparent presence. 13.5% vol.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: velvety, dense, fruity, powerful bouquet, cherries, strawberries, mint, chocolate. Velvety, finely creamy palate with dense structure, powerful, fresh aromas, fine tannins, delicate, sweet fruit, long, fresh finish. Has room for further improvement.

Silky, dense, fruity, powerful bouquet with cherries, strawberries, mint and chocolate. Silky, finely creamy palate with a dense structure, powerful, fresh aromatics, fine tannins, delicate sweet fruit and a long, fresh finish. Still has room to improve. 17/20 2028 - 2048

Well-judged clove, sage and anise spice lifts this above the average in the 2021 lineup, and there are delicious black tea, spiced plum and blueberry fruits. Clear grip and limestone character. A success in the vintage, but that doesn’t mean it escapes the cool-vintage character. Beaurmartin family, David Suire director, 61ha size, 41hl/ha yield. 45% of production in the Grand Vin.

Laroque 2021 is deep garnet-purple in color. It is a little reticent to start, soon unfurling to offer evocative notes of star anise, ripe black plums, and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of violets and charcoal. Medium-bodied, the palate has impressive tension and a great core of intense black fruits, framed by rounded tannins, finishing long and minerally. Nicely done!

The nose unfolds a range of dark shades, as intoxicating as a midnight sky: black fruits, slate, coal, ink. On the palate, the wine is extremely refined, with such a vivid minerality it takes you by the hand and leads you on a tour of the vineyard. The fruit, graceful and composed, awaits you there. A marvel!

Such finesse, depth, and precision in the bouquet of Laroque 2021. Juicy, chalky, and slightly creamy, the wine is carried by precise, fine-grained tannins that deliver vigor and breadth. A subtle, harmonious, refreshing, energetic wine, mouthwatering and sapid.

Beautiful dark, intense color. Moderately aromatic nose, with ripe, slightly creamy fruit. The palate is all about delicate texture, with flavor, a present, caressing body. Well-built, aromatic finish. Wrapped tannins. Blend: 99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.5% – pH: 3.49. Harvest from October 4 to 15. Yield: 41 hl/ha.