Château Laroque 2019 (Futures)

• Domaine: Château Laroque
• Appellation: Saint-Emilion
• Classification: Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion
• Origin: Right Bank, Bordeaux, France
• Importer: Laguna Cellar

Located on the top of the hills, next to the village of Saint-Emilion, Château Laroque is an estate that looks like its wine: noble, elegant and charismatic. Inhabited by the lord of the manor in the Middle-Ages, it retains a 12th century tower but was otherwise rebuilt in the 17th century in the typical style of Louis XIV’s architecture displayed to its full effect here, hence the Château’s nickname of “Little Versailles”. Its tall gates of finely designed wrought iron, long and bright alleyways, pale stonework and ivory-coloured statues outline the elegance of this authentic and prestigious estate. Nowadays, it is the largest estate in Saint-Emilion with 61 hectares of undivided vineyard, from which 27 hectares of the best plots and oldest vines are used for production of Château Laroque Grand Cru Classé. Located on clay-and-limestone hillsides and benefiting from exceptional exposure, these vineyards offer a constant guarantee of harmonious, superior quality grapes. (Credit: Château Laroque)

Tasting Notes

"Composed of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Laroque was harvested from the 30th of September to the 10th of October. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare this year. Alcohol came in at 14.5%, with a relatively low pH of 3.44. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with bold scents of blueberry preserves, Black Forest cake, dark chocolate and lilacs with underlying hints of aniseed, espresso and pencil lead plus a waft of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with dark, seductive berry layers and a whole myriad of savory nuances, framed by wonderfully soft, velvety tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and perfumed. Beautiful!" - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (6/17/2020, Bordeaux 2019 Issue), Rating: 95-97