France

Ch. Laroque

Chateau Laroque Grand Cru Classe Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Deep garnet-purple colored. Leaps with bold notes of fresh blackberries and kirsch, leading to suggestions of lilac bush, underbrush, and cinnamon stick. The light to medium-bodied palate is elegant and light on its feet with a lively line and fragrant finish.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Medium intensity ruby, this is a little reserved at first, in the best way, in that it has the hidden depths that are just so promising during En Primeur, real sense of sapidity, squid ink, violet reflections, extremely vibrant, really like this, blueberry, sage, slate, lift on the finish, delicious. Beaumartin family, David Suire winemaker.

Inside Bordeaux

A blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Laroque is deep garnet-purple in color. It prances out with showy scents of warm black plums, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to wafts of underbrush, violets, and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate delivers seriously impressive tension, with firm, ripe, rounded tannins and bags of bright black fruits, finishing long and fragrant.

Well-judged clove, sage and anis spice lifts this above the average in the 2021 lineup, and there are delicous black tea, spiced plum and blueberry fruits. Clear grip and limestone character. A success in the vintage, but that doesnt mean it escapes the cool vintage character. Beaurmartin family, David Suire director, 61ha size, 41hl/h yield. 45% of production in the Grand Vin.

There is such incredible balance to this wine, with deftly expressed black and blue fruits, espresso, liqourice and cocoa bean shavings, all delivered slowly but surely through the palate, held in by sculpted tannins, and wet stone texture. This is my biggest upscore from En Primeur - I noted at the time that it was extremely closed, but it is now showing its incredible potential, and is a great value wine. David Suire director, owners Beaumartin family, 61ha of vines.

So well put together, you feel the deft strokes of the winemaking layered on top of the terroir, and it's an impressive whole that combines power and restraint. Cassis and blueberry fruits, liquorice and espresso, mouth-watering finish but everything unfolding oh so slowly. No rush here. Yields of 43hl/ha. 3.44pH. Owned by the family Beaumartin, with winemaking from David Suire. An upscore from En Primeur.

Among the oldest estates in St Emilion, dating back to the Middle Ages, this is pure restrained limestone, and stands as an excellent reflection of why this type of terroir worked so well in 2018. The ph for example, is 3.48, a relatively low number that underscores the freshness and feeling of bounce and juice that runs through the blueberry and raspberry fruits.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Laroque
Vintages	2012
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	150 cl

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