Château Laroque 2019

Especially spicy even after maturation; well-structured, dense, with very fine-grained tannins; great length; seems more full-bodied than en primeur, a bit less elegant, yet without losing any class.

Still a touch reticent but it's all there, from the dark plum and warmed cassis notes to the underpinning of warm loam and sweet tobacco accents. Features fine-grained tannins, with good cut through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 11,800 cases made, 1,840 cases imported.

Ripe cherries and strawberries on the nose. This is juicy and bright with summer berry flavours, soft but present tannins and juicy acidity. Lightly structured, a softly sweet style, for earlier drinking with a lovely vein of stony minerality that cleans the palate and leaves a cool feel in the mouth. Elegant, well framed.

Blackcurrant, cherry and violet aromas follow through to a medium to full body with very well-integrated tannins that give a soft and creamy impression. Long and satisfying already, but needs another three or four years to come together. Try after 2023.

The 2019 Laroque delivers on all the potential it showed as a young barrel sample. Succulent and racy to the core, with striking depth, Laroque is voluptuous, creamy and wonderfully inviting right out of the gate. Succulent dark cherry fruit, mocha, spice, new leather, licorice and menthol build into the voluptuous finish. Laroque balances fruit intensity with energy. It is certainly impressive in 2019. Tasted two times.

Dark ruby garnet with purple reflections and a lightly ochre rim. Fine precious wood nuances with floral undertones on the nose, along with hints of blueberries, liquorice and orange blossom – a multi-faceted, inviting bouquet. Juicy and tightly woven on the palate with a core of ripe heart cherries lending a fine fruit sweetness that works well with the ripe, supporting tannins. There's very good length and freshness on show, with a hint of honey on the mineral finish. Certain ageing potential.

I continue to just love this château, which is located in one of the cooler terroirs in the appellation, sitting on pure limestone soils. Director David Suire continues to fine-tune every aspect of the estate and is the driving force behind the incredible quality we're seeing today. The 2019 Château Laroque is as classy as they come, with an incredible level of refinement and elegance. Ripe black cherries, blueberries, violets, white truffle, and cedar pencil all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with incredible tannins, perfect balance, and a great finish. It doesn't quite have the density of, say, Canon or Clos Fourtet, yet it doesn't lose a beat with regard to purity, finesse, and elegance. It's a gorgeous Saint-Emilion that readers will love to have in the cellar. It offers pleasure today yet won't hit the early stages of maturity for another 5-7 years and will have 20-25 years of overall longevity, probably more.

97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 43 hl/ha. Impenetrable purple with a black core. What an elixir! Freshly picked blackberries and beguiling violets on the open nose. On the second pass, Alpine blueberries, licorice, and perfumed pipe tobacco. On the elegant palate, silky texture, gripping extract and vibrant energy—so much drive and tension! Aromatic finish of elderberry jelly and profound minerality. Last year’s shooting star didn’t rest on its laurels but upped the ante once again. Grand performance, David Suire!

Deep, velvety bouquet with damson plums, strawberries, cedar, graphite, currants. Fruity, powerful palate with dense fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a velvety, finely muscled structure, intense aromatics, and a long, powerful, delicately bitter finish. 18/20 2025 - 2045

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.

A majestic limestone backbone on the finish that lengthens the wine, bringing refinement and freshness. We are in the nobility of Saint-Emilion, all the more so as the aromatic nuances are falling beautifully into place.

The ripe, fleshy red fruit of 2019, set on a body with refined tannins, expresses the energy of the cool terroir and the work in a reductive environment that preserves the integrity of the aromas. The Merlots amplify the savory dynamic of the vintage, building the wine’s future, hewn from the rock of the three families of Saint-Émilion argilo-calcaire present on the terroir.

On the nose, shimmering, captivating hints of dark fruits, tobacco, plum confit, and ink. A self-assured, embodied wine, representative of its terroir—a plateau where the three main types of limestone that make up the finest terroirs of Saint Emilion are found—with great sophistication: a true success.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. A very aromatic nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Delicate on entry, subtle through the mid-palate, very aromatic, with a supple body and even some richness; the wine finishes long, sappy, with a noble overall bearing. It’s very good.

Dark chocolate, spice-box, smoke, licorice, espresso and plums carry the nose. The wine is full-bodied, deep, rich, lush and plush on the palate with layers of ripe, supple, silky dark red fruits with intensity, purity, and salty tannins. The wine is hitting all the right notes. And even better, as good as it is now, with some age, this is going to be even better. This is in competition for the highest scoring, well-priced wine in all of Bordeaux. This is a reminder, grab this wine by the case. Eventually, prices will rise. Remember, you heard it here first. Drink from 2023-2045.