Winery
Chateau Laroque
Region
St.Emillion, Bordeaux, France
Varietal
Bordeaux Blend 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol%
13.5
Tasting Note
Delights us with its lovely purple colour and complex, elegant nose, which gives off delicious ripe fruits and roasted aromas. On the palate, the attack is soft with delicate tannins, and the wine offers beautiful notes of red fruits and a smooth finish.
Food Pairing
Accompaniments: Grilled red meat, game, cheeses.
Awards
DECANTER – JANE ANSON / 93
“This is an attractive wine with darkly spiced fruits and good acidity that's just giving out the right amount of mouthwatering tension. I'm not sure I've tasted a better example of this wine. The blend is 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
JEAN-MARC QUARIN / 92
“The best ever! Here is the second full vintage of David Suire. Dark, intense, beautiful and purple colour. Intense, fine, fruity, fresh and ripe nose. Fleshy and melting from the start, the wine develops smooth, caressing, with taste, energy and a long, sappy and fragrant finish with citrus nuances. 2016 is therefore the most complete and meaty Laroque that I know. Well done !”
JAMES SUCKLING / 93-94
“A very long and intense red with blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants on the nose. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long finish.”
THE WINE DOCTOR – CHRIS KISSACK / 93-95
“The estate has an impressive 61 hectares of vines, although this cuvée is a hard selection, taking just 47% of what was picked. David Suire, who is making the wine here now, reports the season started with an early bud break, but a later harvest, ten days past the norm. For the Merlots the harvest was on October 13th and 14th, and then from the 17th to the 22nd, this comprising 95% of the blend. This was followed by the Cabernets, also on October 22nd. This 5% includes 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The yield was 48 hl/ha. The 2016 Laroque has a beautiful nose, with very pure fruit, fresh and bright, perfumed with struck limestone, rose petals and peony. This has far more interest than I ever recall finding in Laroque before now. It has quite a saturated hue as well. The palate is fresh, pure, with a creamed-fruit concentration, sweet and dark plum, ripe and pretty, underpinned by ripe tannins. It is fresh, pure, bright, with creamed fruits, silky ripe tannins, and fresh acid lift. This is very impressive, and it has some length and sweetness of character as well. Those perfumed aromatics are very promising. This is surely the best Laroque I have tasted.”
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER – JEFF LEVE / 92-94
“With a worthy depth of colour, this wine reveals dark berries, earth and liquorice in the fragrance. The fruit is sweet and juicy. There are complexity and vibrancy with a long, persistent boysenberry and black cherry finish. The wine was made with 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.35. This is the second vintage for Laroque with David Suire, the new director who has achieved great success in his efforts here.”
Winery
Winery
Chateau Laroque
Region
Region
St.Emillion, Bordeaux, France
Varietal
Varietal
Bordeaux Blend 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol%
Alcohol%
13.5
Tasting Note
Tasting Note
Delights us with its lovely purple colour and complex, elegant nose, which gives off delicious ripe fruits and roasted aromas. On the palate, the attack is soft with delicate tannins, and the wine offers beautiful notes of red fruits and a smooth finish.
Food Pairing
Food Pairing
Accompaniments: Grilled red meat, game, cheeses.
Awards
Awards
DECANTER – JANE ANSON / 93
“This is an attractive wine with darkly spiced fruits and good acidity that's just giving out the right amount of mouthwatering tension. I'm not sure I've tasted a better example of this wine. The blend is 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
JEAN-MARC QUARIN / 92
“The best ever! Here is the second full vintage of David Suire. Dark, intense, beautiful and purple colour. Intense, fine, fruity, fresh and ripe nose. Fleshy and melting from the start, the wine develops smooth, caressing, with taste, energy and a long, sappy and fragrant finish with citrus nuances. 2016 is therefore the most complete and meaty Laroque that I know. Well done !”
JAMES SUCKLING / 93-94
“A very long and intense red with blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants on the nose. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long finish.”
THE WINE DOCTOR – CHRIS KISSACK / 93-95
“The estate has an impressive 61 hectares of vines, although this cuvée is a hard selection, taking just 47% of what was picked. David Suire, who is making the wine here now, reports the season started with an early bud break, but a later harvest, ten days past the norm. For the Merlots the harvest was on October 13th and 14th, and then from the 17th to the 22nd, this comprising 95% of the blend. This was followed by the Cabernets, also on October 22nd. This 5% includes 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The yield was 48 hl/ha. The 2016 Laroque has a beautiful nose, with very pure fruit, fresh and bright, perfumed with struck limestone, rose petals and peony. This has far more interest than I ever recall finding in Laroque before now. It has quite a saturated hue as well. The palate is fresh, pure, with a creamed-fruit concentration, sweet and dark plum, ripe and pretty, underpinned by ripe tannins. It is fresh, pure, bright, with creamed fruits, silky ripe tannins, and fresh acid lift. This is very impressive, and it has some length and sweetness of character as well. Those perfumed aromatics are very promising. This is surely the best Laroque I have tasted.”
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER – JEFF LEVE / 92-94
“With a worthy depth of colour, this wine reveals dark berries, earth and liquorice in the fragrance. The fruit is sweet and juicy. There are complexity and vibrancy with a long, persistent boysenberry and black cherry finish. The wine was made with 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.35. This is the second vintage for Laroque with David Suire, the new director who has achieved great success in his efforts here.”