Chateau Laroque - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2021
Price: $37.25
| Producer | Chateau Laroque |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Subregion | Saint-Emilion |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 11244 |
Vinous Media: 94 Points
The 2021 Laroque is classy, elegant and polished. A wine of stature and breeding, Laroque is a quintessentially finessed Saint-Emilion. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark cherry, plum, spice, new leather, licorice and menthol. All the elements are nicely balanced.
Decanter: 93 Points
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 seering 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.
Jeb Dunnuck: 93 Points
The 2021 Chateau 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+.
Wine Advocate: 92 Points
The 2021 Laroque opens in the glass with aromas of dark, minty berries, orange zest and toasty oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered palate with a sweet core of fruit, supple tannins and a long, mineral finish. This has turned out very nicely in bottle, and given its low-pH profile, it's likely to reward some bottle age.
