Château Laroque 2020
St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé
Bordeaux, France
Regular price£173.98
/
Arriving: May 2026
Shipping duty paid to Mainland UK is charged at a flat rate of £9.99 per consignment and POA for Northern Ireland or Islands.
Shipping under bond is dependant on location, but starts at £15 per consignment.
| Style: Red | Packaging: OWC |
| ABV: 14.5% | Closure: Cork |
| Organic: | Drink from: 2026 |
| Biodynamic: | Drink to: 2042 |
| Grapes: 99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc | |
Critic scores
93 RP, 91+ NM, 96 AG, 94 JS, 95+ JD, 97 LPB, 95 JA, 96 DC
Critic reviews
"The 2020 Laroque has turned out nicely, bursting with aromas of cherries, minty blackberries, licorice and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with good depth at the core, chalky but refined tannins and a saline finish, it's another strong performance for this rising star of Saint-Émilion."
William Kelley, April 2023, RobertParker.com
"The 2020 Laroque has a ripe, opulent nose with blackberry, raspberry coulis, wild hedgerow and a subtle touch of mint. The oak is nicely integrated, but it loses some vitality in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, saturated and pliant tannins. It has fine weight, with just a smidgen of welcome bitterness that imparts tension on the finish. This is very promising and astutely made, though this showing suggests it may have begun closing down. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting."
Neal Martin, January 2024, Vinous.com
"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."
Antonio Galloni, December 2022, Vinous.com
"Aromas of sweet berries with herbs, wet earth and moss undertones as well as fresh mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine and creamy tannins and a lovely finish. It’s polished and refined. Drink after 2025, but already very pretty."
James Suckling, December 2022, JamesSuckling.com
"From an estate that has been on an incredible run of late, largely due to the talents of director David Suire, the 2020 Château Laroque shows the cooler, limestone-driven style of the terroir beautifully and has a clean, focused style in its darker (almost blue) berry fruits as well as chalky minerality, violets, spice, and floral nuances. Medium-bodied on the palate, this focused, straight, remarkably pure Saint-Emilion has terrific mid-palate depth and a great finish. It needs to be hidden in the cellar for a solid 4-5 years if possible and is going to have 30 years of longevity. If drinking any time soon, give it an hour in a decanter."
Jeb Dunnuck, March 2023, JebDunnuck.com
"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."
Jane Anson, December 2022, JaneAnson.com
"This vintage seems to combine aspects of the 2018 with the 2019, and with the lowest pH since the 2016 vintage. It exudes violets, rich black (but also cool blue) fruit, cherry and an unmistakably appealing expression of wet stone. By this vintage, 70% of the wine had been aged in grand formats of oak, yielding fruit purity. The sizes of the oak aging vessels vary. Some are 500 litres; others 3,000 and even 9,000. The wine has a certain iron rich aspect but communicates airy elegance and richness. Long finish indeed!"
Panos Kakaviatos, July 2024, Decanter.com
William Kelley, April 2023, RobertParker.com
"The 2020 Laroque has a ripe, opulent nose with blackberry, raspberry coulis, wild hedgerow and a subtle touch of mint. The oak is nicely integrated, but it loses some vitality in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, saturated and pliant tannins. It has fine weight, with just a smidgen of welcome bitterness that imparts tension on the finish. This is very promising and astutely made, though this showing suggests it may have begun closing down. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting."
Neal Martin, January 2024, Vinous.com
"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."
Antonio Galloni, December 2022, Vinous.com
"Aromas of sweet berries with herbs, wet earth and moss undertones as well as fresh mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine and creamy tannins and a lovely finish. It’s polished and refined. Drink after 2025, but already very pretty."
James Suckling, December 2022, JamesSuckling.com
"From an estate that has been on an incredible run of late, largely due to the talents of director David Suire, the 2020 Château Laroque shows the cooler, limestone-driven style of the terroir beautifully and has a clean, focused style in its darker (almost blue) berry fruits as well as chalky minerality, violets, spice, and floral nuances. Medium-bodied on the palate, this focused, straight, remarkably pure Saint-Emilion has terrific mid-palate depth and a great finish. It needs to be hidden in the cellar for a solid 4-5 years if possible and is going to have 30 years of longevity. If drinking any time soon, give it an hour in a decanter."
Jeb Dunnuck, March 2023, JebDunnuck.com
"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."
Jane Anson, December 2022, JaneAnson.com
"This vintage seems to combine aspects of the 2018 with the 2019, and with the lowest pH since the 2016 vintage. It exudes violets, rich black (but also cool blue) fruit, cherry and an unmistakably appealing expression of wet stone. By this vintage, 70% of the wine had been aged in grand formats of oak, yielding fruit purity. The sizes of the oak aging vessels vary. Some are 500 litres; others 3,000 and even 9,000. The wine has a certain iron rich aspect but communicates airy elegance and richness. Long finish indeed!"
Panos Kakaviatos, July 2024, Decanter.com