2016 Château Laroque, St Emilion, Bordeaux
Description
Laroque 2016 has a generous, enticing nose of juicy plum, black and red cherry, with undercurrents of black tea and dark chocolate. A delicate floral character adds an elegant lift. The palate is well-rounded and the body medium-full; kept in check by a line of acidity that continues through to the long finish. This wine is a perfect embodiment of Saint-Emilion and will please enormously whether drunk now, or after a few years in the cellar.
Victoria Bull, Private Reserves Junior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2016 -
Alcohol
14% -
Grape
Merlot,Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon -
Body
Medium Bodied -
Producer
Château Laroque
Critics reviews
The 2016 Laroque is blended of 95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines more than 50 years old and aged in 50% new French and Austrian oak.
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly unfurls to reveal a beautiful core of redcurrants, Morello cherries, wild blueberries and fresh plums with touches of lilacs, oolong tea, chargrill, bay leaves and yeast extract plus a hint of wet slate. Medium to full-bodied, taut and finely textured with ripe, grainy tannins, it has bold freshness cutting through the densely packed red and black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Drink 2020 - 2036
The 2016 Laroque, now under the direction of David Suire, who works with Nicolas Thienpont only at Beausejour Duffau and Larcis Ducasse, to be fair), is clearly a Saint-Émilion on the upswing. This latest bottled vintage is a joy. It delivers a substantial, complex bouquet, a mixture of black and blue fruit with a discreet warm gravel note evolving over the course of an hour. The palate is well balanced and impressively structured, presenting well-judged acidity and a classically styled, mineral-driven finish. Everything is in place for a great wine, but it deserves a minimum of five years in the cellar.
Drink 2023 - 2045