Laroque 2021 (750ML)

94 AG / 94 WI / 93 JD / 93 JS / 93 JA / 93 DE / 93 WCI / 92+ WA / 92 VM / 16.5 JR

#1 Wine Independent 2024 Holiday QPR Red Wine Under $50

The 2021 Laroque is classy, elegant and polished. A wine of stature and breeding, Laroque is a quintessentially finessed Saint-Émilion. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark cherry, plum, spice, new leather, licorice and menthol. All the elements are very nicely balanced. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Laroque 2021 is deep garnet-purple in color. It is a little reticent to start, soon unfurling to offer evocative notes of star anise, ripe black plums, and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of violets and charcoal. Medium-bodied, the palate has impressive tension and a great core of intense black fruits, framed by rounded tannins, finishing long and minerally. Nicely done!

There are absolute bargains to be found from Bordeaux these days, and Saint-Émilion is a treasure trove of value. Perched on a plateau with to-die-for limestone over clay soils and possessing mature vines, this under-the-radar château appointed David Suire in 2015 to manage the estate and bring it up to its full potential. The results in recent vintages have been remarkable. The 2021 is lighter and fresher, while the 2020 is rich and velvety, mirroring the cooler vs warmer vintages. Both are absolute bargains and sure to impress. -Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2021 Château 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+.-Jeb Dunnuck

Spiced red cherries, plums, graphite, cocoa powder and a touch of mineral. Medium-bodied palate with fine, silky tannins and a juicy, nuanced finish. Elegant and polished. Drink now but can hold, too. - James Suckling

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. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

This is juicy, mouthwatering, has a pumice-stone limestone texture and a slow unrolling of plum and raspberry fruits and smoked spices while maintaining grip. They have been making great wine here over recent vintages, and to keep the quality in 2021 is worthy of congratulations. One to look out for. Beaurmartin family, David Suire director, 61ha size, 41hl/h yield. 45% of production in the Grand Vin. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Great aromatics on the nose. Supple and generous on the palate, this has a spring it its step with crushed velvet tannis, bright fruit that has a gentle roundness to it and such lifted freshness giving this a lovely cool effect from start to finish. I love the strawberry and raspberry fruit here, so clean, so pure, so delicate and long. It's not weighty but so well delivered. Lively and charming. Elegant, finessed, harmonious. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Dried flowers, forest floor, licorice, cocoa, wild cherries, black raspberries and strawberries define the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, fresh, and most importantly, pure with the essence of its sweet, ripe, mildly salty, red fruits, and soft, silky tannins to make the lingering taste, and feel great. The wine was made with 99% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2040.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

The 2021 Laroque has a well-defined, complex bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, loam and tobacco scents, a touch of damp undergrowth emerging with time, The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry and fine acidity, slightly powdery in texture with a hint of Japanese nori on the finish. This is well worth seeking out. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Deep crimson hue. Dark and racy on the nose. Good depth of succulent mid-palate fruit. Plenty of polished tannin providing drive and persistence. A little chalkiness but nothing abrasive. Ambitious and with potential.-James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson