Château Laroque, Grand Cru Classé, St Émilion, 2019
This was one of the big success stories of 2018, and the 2019 is a more then worthy successor. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers, blue fruits, licorice and pure cassis greets the nose. An enticing and bright attack of red fruit coats the palate - it's really seductive package, full of bitter sweet red cherry. Bright and clear with admirable freshness and lift, the 2019 finishes with beautifully lacy tannins, flecked with notes of cocoa nibs and griotte. Very impressive.
critic reviews
The 2019 Laroque, composed of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It sports cedary overtones to start off, giving way to notes of stewed black plums, blueberry pie, and Chinese five spice with hints of crushed rocks and unsmoked cigars. The full-bodied palate has a formidable backbone of firm tannins, with a lively line and muscular fruit, finishing long. This one is built for the longhaul, so give it another 3-5 years in cellar and drink it over the following 15 to 20-years+.
The 2019 Laroque lacks a bit of complexity on the nose - high-toned black fruit, touches of hickory and crushed black peppercorns. Slightly animally in style, though attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite pliant, well balanced with a smooth and quite velvety finish. After a slow entrance, it starts to seduce and I strongly suspect it would have deserved a more generous score in line with my previous assessments given more aeration. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
A terrific effort from an estate that was long one of Saint-Emilion's sleeping giants, the 2019 Laroque unwinds in the glass with aromas of cherries, licorice, loamy soil, rose petals and sweet tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with succulent aids, powdery tannins and a seamless, integrated profile. It's well worth seeking out.
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.