Laroque - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

Alexandre Ma

94

par Alexandre Ma le 10/03/2025

What defines the essence of purity and the quintessential charm of Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau? Château Laroque 2022 offers the perfect response! Having tasted their plump grapes during the harvest, my expectations for their quality naturally soared. Setting aside its invigoratingly juicy berry fragrances, one need only observe its translucent acidity and fluid-structure to comprehend its “purity.” The classic chalky character of the limestone is brilliantly juxtaposed with the foundation-like tannins, conjuring visions of purple juice flowing from the white limestone. For big fans of Saint-Émilion, this wine allows you to experience the region’s essence at a most reasonable price.

Wine Advocate

95

par William Kelley le 07/03/2025

The 2022 Laroque has turned out very well indeed in bottle, offering up aromas of cassis, plums, pencil shavings and violets, followed by a medium to full-bodied, suave and vibrant palate that's pure, concentrated and penetrating. Harmonious and integrated, this limestone terroir's identity really shines through.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

97

par Jane Anson le 07/03/2025

Superb quality delivering grip and lift, with the fleshy black fruits underpinned by steel, crushed slate and softer crayon. Well defined black fruits, mouthwatering, vivid, energetic, one to look out for. 3.55ph reductive ageing on fine lees, 1st racking after 6 months, harvest September 14 to 30, Vineyard located on the limestone plateau and slopes at one of highest points of St Emilion in St Christophe des Bardes, owned by the Beaumartin family, David Suire director.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95

par Jeff Leve le 04/03/2025

Laroque, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

97

par Jeb Dunnuck le 28/02/2025

Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Laroque, it checks in as 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new oak with a mix in larger formats, as well as a portion in foudre. Gorgeous black raspberries, spring flowers, graphite, and truffly mineral and crushed stone-like nuances all shine in this stunningly complex, medium to full-bodied effort. With ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, and ultra-fine tannins, it's going to drink well for at least 30 years. The alcohol here is a healthy 14.7 with a pH of 3.4. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine! Buy a case for your cellar. You can thank me later.

Yvesbeck.wine

97

par Yves Beck le 25/02/2025

D'entrée, le bouquet ouvre tous les récepteurs sensibles au plaisir, aux saveurs, à l'envie de savourer et de partager un vin scintillant. Les nuances de cassis et de groseilles alliées à des notes épicées et crayeuses sur un léger et subtil fond boisé créent la complexité. L'attaque de Laroque est d'une sérénité imposante. Le vin avance certes prudemment, mais c'est plutôt dû au fait qu'il ne veut pas être envahissant. Il préfère convaincre par des actes que par des paroles bruyantes. La haute définition, la précision du bouquet sont bien reprises par le palais. Le vin est scintillant, ample, large, mais également linéaire et précis. Il a peut-être encore un peu de peine à vraiment démontrer sa grandeur, mais ceci est rapidement relativisé par le caractère pertinent, salivant et vivifiant de la finale. Un vin réjouissant qui a pour fil rouge son équilibre, sa fraîcheur et sa puissance. 2026-2052 97/100

Vinous

94

par Neal Martin le 12/02/2025

The 2022 Laroque has an outstanding, finely delineated bouquet that retains the precision and mineralité suggested from barrel. There is energy here. The palate is medium-bodied, sapid and focused with fine-boned tannins. Its mineralité comes through again toward the finish. This rejuvenated Saint-Émilion comes highly recommended and continues a strong run of form for this rejuvenated estate.

Vinous

95

par Antonio Galloni le 28/01/2025

The 2022 Laroque is even better from bottle than it was _en primeur_. Dark, rich and enveloping, the 2022 is seriously impressive. Black cherry, leather, licorice, dried herbs and mocha race across the palate. The possesses superb depth and nuance while capturing all of the richness of the year. Laroque is very clearly one of the sleepers of the year. Superb.

Decanter.com

97

par Georgina Hindle le 25/05/2023

A clear stand out in 2022 that delivers refined density and sublime drinking pleasure. Smells perfumed and opulent, aromatically expressive and alive on the nose. Full bodied, rich and concentrated, intense and filling - there is clear power but it's so delicately and elegantly presented with such succulence and a juicy, fun and playful fruitiness. Has both push and density as well a delicious mineral tang. This has a slick and sleek character and feels really made. I love the intense juiciness balanced by the plushness of the fruit, more weighty and dense than some with mass appeal, tons of energy and still lovely clean fresh and cooling St-Emilion typicity. Harvest 14-22 September. Yield of 41hl/ha. 3.55pH.

Alexandre Ma

94-95

par Alexandre Ma le 17/05/2023

What defines the essence of purity and the quintessential charm of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau? Château Laroque 2022 offers the perfect response! Having tasted their plump grapes during the harvest, my expectations for their quality naturally soared. Setting aside its invigoratingly juicy berry fragrances, one need only observe its translucent acidity and fluid-structure to comprehend its "purity." The classic chalky character of the limestone is brilliantly juxtaposed with the foundation-like tannins, conjuring visions of purple juice flowing from the white limestone. For big fans of Saint-Émilion, this wine allows you to experience the region's essence at a most reasonable price.

Vinous

92-94

par Neal Martin le 17/05/2023

The 2022 Laroque was picked at 41hL/ha between 14 and 30 September, representing 45% of the total production. It has a clean and precise bouquet with brambly red fruit, hints of liquorice and iodine. Quite voluptuous in style, though thankfully, it retains delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe red fruit. Fine structure, very supple in the mouth. The lightly spiced finish comes across just a little sweeter than I would have liked, prompting me to be a bit more cautious with my score than I otherwise might have been.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

97

par Jane Anson le 16/05/2023

You just know that this estate is well placed to succeed in the vintage, and this really does walk the line of ripeness and salinity, such gorgeous definition and vivid energetic fruit. Stretches out through the palate also, has a relaxed confidece to it that is quite unusual in such a full--on vintage. Really impressive, Beaumartin family, David Suire director.

The Wine Independent

94-96

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 15/05/2023

A blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Laroque is deep garnet-purple in color. It prances out with showy scents of warm black plums, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered cherries, giving way to wafts of underbrush, violets, and Sichuan pepper. The full-bodied palate delivers seriously impressive tension, with firm, ripe, rounded tannins and bags of bright black fruits, finishing long and fragrant.

Yvesbeck.wine

95-97

par Yves Beck le 10/05/2023

Quelle subtile symbiose dans le bouquet de Laroque. Tout se révèle de manière pertinente, précise, canalisée. La fraîcheur calcaire est tellement évidente, tant valorisée, à l'instar des nuances d'élevage qui assument leur fonction de plébiscitaires olfactifs, de soutien et qui mettent en valeur les autres éléments. La finesse et la subtilité sont parfaitement relayées par le palais. Le vin cumule densité, charme et tension. Légèrement saline, la finale est rafraîchissante. De fins amers soutiennent et étirent idéalement l'expression et la persistance aromatique de la finale. Un vin brillant qui souligne, une fois de plus, l'aptitude des équipes de Château Laroque à produire de très grands vins.

Bettane & Desseauve

95

par Bettane & Desseauve le 10/05/2023

Les 98 % de merlot sont domptés par le terroir calcaire, nez profond, un tannin enveloppant, soyeux avec de l’énergie et une finale saline. Au fil de nos dégustations, il monte en intensité.

Jeb DUNNUCK

95-97

par Jeb Dunnuck le 10/05/2023

Clearly one of the new superstars in the appellation, Château Laroque is located on the cooler, eastern edge of Saint-Emilion and consists of pure, classic upper plateau limestone soils. The estate covers a whopping 54 hectares, which gives director Davie Suire ample flexibility when putting together the Grand Vin. Looking at the 2022 Laroque, it's a blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc from healthy yields of 41 hectoliters per hectare, representing just 45% of the total production, and it will spend 16-18 months in 50% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty offers a classic Saint-Emilion bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, tobacco, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality. It’s medium to full-bodied, has incredible purity, and ultra-fine tannins. It’s unquestionably another beautiful vintage for this chateau that readers will love.

Vinous

92-94

par Antonio Galloni le 09/05/2023

The 2022 Laroque is bright, focused and full of energy. In this vintage, Laroque is especially refined. Dark plum, graphite, licorice, spice, lavender and mocha are nicely laced together in this gracious, finely cut Saint-Émilion. Bright saline accents lend notable brightness throughout. Drinking window : 2028-2047

The Drink Business

96-98

par Colin Hay le 09/05/2023

Crushed fruits of the forest, black cherry, a little ripe plum, so pure and precise, so massively intensetoo; a little spiciness with a touch of cinnamon and a twist of white pepper; cedar; but also thatfabulous slight leafiness that underscore the freshness of the fruit and hints at the sapidity to be foundon the palate; a most subtle hint of brioche; little purple spring flowers as it opens in the glass; analmost velvety soft nose; cool; complex and subtlyevolving as it slowly unfurls. This is both brilliantlybright and fragrant. Another wine that tastes and feels like it comes from a large format, such is theintegrity of the tannins (a double magnum perhaps).Incredibly energetic and explosively expressiveof the fruit. Raspberry, loganberry and bramble, blueberry to darken the fruit profile, a subtle hintoftoasted brioche, green and rose peppercorns. A fabulous wine once again from David Suire, Laroqueis, as ever, so lithe,so crystalline, so energetic and so dynamic on thepalate. There’s a slight butdelicate touch of salinity on the finish. The bestI have tasted from here, which is saying quite a lot!Abrilliant wineas it so often is nowadays with a personality andidentity all of its own, butthat singsso eloquently of its calcaire

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

par Jeff Leve le 05/05/2023

Showing a dark hue, the wine is all about its perfect balance between intensity, concentration, freshness, and elegance. The red pit fruits are sweet, refined, pure, and supple. The finish is long, creamy, pure and while powerful, it is elegant as well, leaving you with a saltiness on the backend, providing lift and precision. The wine was made with 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, 14.55% ABV. Drink from 2026-2045.

Wine Advocate

93-95

par William Kelley le 02/05/2023

Another impressive performance from this estate, the 2022 Laroque offers up aromas of sweet berries, violets, iris and exotic spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered palate with a rich core of fruit that's framed by lively acids, concluding with a taut, chalky finish. Once again, it's the result of a strict selection that sees only 45% of the production released as the grand vin.