Laroque 2020

St Emilion, Grand Cru Classé

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
12	37.5cl Half-Bottle	Case 12	£140 per Case	Case	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
The 2020 Laroque is even better than the en primeur sample. Dark and enveloping, with tons of class, Laroque is a winner. Succulent dark plum, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice and pipe tobacco give the 2020 tons of nuance. Laroque is class personified. Winemaker David Suire is doing important work here. Score: 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027-2045 23 February 2023
The 2020 Laroque is silky, sensual and polished right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco meld into a core of red/purplish berry fruit. What I like most about the 2020 is its incredible finesse and impeccable balance. This is another terrific effort from Laroque under the leadership of technical director David Suire. Tasted two times. Score: 93 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2040 01 June 2021
There is such incredible balance to this wine, with deftly expressed black and blue fruits, espresso, liqourice and cocoa bean shavings, all delivered slowly but surely through the palate, held in by sculpted tannins, and wet stone texture. This is my biggest upscore from En Primeur - I noted at the time that it was extremely closed, but it is now showing its incredible potential, and is a great value wine. David Suire director, owners Beaumartin family, 61ha of vines. Score: 95 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2040 15 February 2023
Plenty of sappy, well defined juice running underneath the moody tannic frame, but you need to look away right now because this is closed and subdued. Blueberry purée and a limestone scrape helps build momentum through the mid-palate - give this time. David Suire manages the winemaking. Score: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2026 - 2040 01 May 2021
The 2020 Laroque has a nose that has closed down a little since bottling, though the quality still shines through with blackberry and raspberry fruit, undergrowth, rose petals and light orange rind aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, sweet and candied with a plush finish. It just needs a little more grip and sapidity, though that should emerge with bottle age. Impressive. Score: 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027-2047 08 February 2023
The 2020 Laroque was cropped at 34hl/ha, picked September 21–30. It has a very composed bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry and crushed limestone scents, beautifully defined with very well integrated oak. You could just nose this all day. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, blueberry and a judicious pinch of black pepper. This is very harmonious and as fresh as a daisy. Possibly the best Laroque that winemaker David Suire has overseen to date. Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027 - 2047 01 May 2021
Possibly one of the best buys out there, the 2020 Château Laroque comes from a cooler, clay and limestone terroir on the eastern side of the appellation, and this is exactly what you wanted in this vintage. Revealing a vivid purple hue as well as stunning notes of blueberries, cassis, liquid violets, and white truffle, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, and gorgeous length on the finish. It plays in the more nuanced, elegant end of the spectrum yet still brings ample fruit, richness, and texture. It’s a stunning bottle of wine all about finesse and elegance. Tasted twice. Score: 95 - 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 25 May 2021
The 2020 Laroque is a blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aging for around 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. The alcohol is 14.5%. Displaying a deep purple-black color, it slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal fantastically opulent notes of Indian spices, rose oil, dark chocolate and licorice, over a core of blueberry preserves, stewed plums and mulberries, plus a hint of dried mint. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with layers of black and blue fruits, accented by exotic spices and supported by a racy backbone and velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous. Score: 94 - 96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 21 May 2021
This is really focused and linear with tight, minerally tannins that are polished and energetic. It’s medium-to full-bodied with dark and blue fruit in the center palate. Long and focused. Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 17 May 2021
Full bottle 1,340 g. Cask sample taken 7 April. Deep crimson but not impenetrable. Mellow, rather unflashy nose with well-integrated acidity and a certain mineral element. Really lively and fresh and rather sleeker than some of the more exhibitionistic St-Émilions. Obviously a long-term, and rather exciting, bet. Bone-dry finish and a fair amount of ripe tannin but not lean or drying, and with a persistent, silky finish. Rather sophisticated. Score: 16+ Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com 08 May 2021

Tasting Notes

The 2020 Laroque is even better than the en primeur sample. Dark and enveloping, with tons of class, Laroque is a winner. Succulent dark plum, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice and pipe tobacco give the 2020 tons of nuance. Laroque is class personified. Winemaker David Suire is doing important work here.

Score: 96

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027-2045 23 February 2023

The 2020 Laroque is silky, sensual and polished right out of the gate. Crushed flowers, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco meld into a core of red/purplish berry fruit. What I like most about the 2020 is its incredible finesse and impeccable balance. This is another terrific effort from Laroque under the leadership of technical director David Suire. Tasted two times.

Score: 93 - 95

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2040 01 June 2021

There is such incredible balance to this wine, with deftly expressed black and blue fruits, espresso, liqourice and cocoa bean shavings, all delivered slowly but surely through the palate, held in by sculpted tannins, and wet stone texture. This is my biggest upscore from En Primeur - I noted at the time that it was extremely closed, but it is now showing its incredible potential, and is a great value wine. David Suire director, owners Beaumartin family, 61ha of vines.

Score: 95

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2040 15 February 2023

Plenty of sappy, well defined juice running underneath the moody tannic frame, but you need to look away right now because this is closed and subdued. Blueberry purée and a limestone scrape helps build momentum through the mid-palate - give this time. David Suire manages the winemaking.

Score: 92

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2026 - 2040 01 May 2021

The 2020 Laroque has a nose that has closed down a little since bottling, though the quality still shines through with blackberry and raspberry fruit, undergrowth, rose petals and light orange rind aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, sweet and candied with a plush finish. It just needs a little more grip and sapidity, though that should emerge with bottle age. Impressive.

Score: 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027-2047 08 February 2023

The 2020 Laroque was cropped at 34hl/ha, picked September 21–30. It has a very composed bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry and crushed limestone scents, beautifully defined with very well integrated oak. You could just nose this all day. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, blueberry and a judicious pinch of black pepper. This is very harmonious and as fresh as a daisy. Possibly the best Laroque that winemaker David Suire has overseen to date.

Score: 93 - 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027 - 2047 01 May 2021

Possibly one of the best buys out there, the 2020 Château Laroque comes from a cooler, clay and limestone terroir on the eastern side of the appellation, and this is exactly what you wanted in this vintage. Revealing a vivid purple hue as well as stunning notes of blueberries, cassis, liquid violets, and white truffle, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, and gorgeous length on the finish. It plays in the more nuanced, elegant end of the spectrum yet still brings ample fruit, richness, and texture. It’s a stunning bottle of wine all about finesse and elegance. Tasted twice.

Score: 95 - 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 25 May 2021

The 2020 Laroque is a blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aging for around 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. The alcohol is 14.5%. Displaying a deep purple-black color, it slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal fantastically opulent notes of Indian spices, rose oil, dark chocolate and licorice, over a core of blueberry preserves, stewed plums and mulberries, plus a hint of dried mint. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with layers of black and blue fruits, accented by exotic spices and supported by a racy backbone and velvety tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous.

Score: 94 - 96

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 21 May 2021

This is really focused and linear with tight, minerally tannins that are polished and energetic. It’s medium-to full-bodied with dark and blue fruit in the center palate. Long and focused.

Score: 94 - 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 17 May 2021

Full bottle 1,340 g. Cask sample taken 7 April. Deep crimson but not impenetrable. Mellow, rather unflashy nose with well-integrated acidity and a certain mineral element. Really lively and fresh and rather sleeker than some of the more exhibitionistic St-Émilions. Obviously a long-term, and rather exciting, bet. Bone-dry finish and a fair amount of ripe tannin but not lean or drying, and with a persistent, silky finish. Rather sophisticated.

Score: 16+

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com 08 May 2021

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