18+
WEINWISSER: "99 % Merlot, 1 % Cabernet Franc, 41 hl/ha. Verführerisches blaubeeriges Bouquet, reife Alpenheidelbeere, frisch aufgebrühter Waldfrüchtetee, betörendes Veilchenparfüm und Schokopralinen. Am subtilen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, gut stützender Rasse, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst, fein salzigem Extrakt und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im vibrierenden Finale Schattenmorellensaft, Brombeerkonfitüre und erhabene Adstringenz. Gehört zu den Besten in seiner Klasse und kann noch zulegen! Best-Buy!"
92-
95
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Laroque is very promising indeed, and winemaker David Suire and I agree that it is likely to surpass the estate's 2018 vintage in quality. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, plums and cherries, framed by a discreet patina of new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with excellent concentration, lively acids and ripe, melting tannins. A blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, it represents 45% of the estate's production and derives from vines more than 50 years old."
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94
JAMES SUCKLING: "A medium-bodied, elegant and fresh red with fine and silky tannins. Fresh acidity. Balanced and perfumed already with vibrant raspberry, blackberry and bark notes. Very citrusy. Linear and bright."
93
DECANTER: "Great aromatics on the nose. Supple and generous on the palate, this has a spring it its step with crushed velvet tannis, bright fruit that has a gentle roundness to it and such lifted freshness giving this a lovely cool effect from start to finish. I love the strawberry and raspberry fruit here, so clean, so pure, so delicate and long. It's not weighty but so well delivered. Lively and charming. Elegant, finessed, harmonious."
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93
JEB DUNNUCK: "From an estate that continues to fire on all cylinders, the 2021 Château Laroque checks in as just about all Merlot (there's a splash of Cabernet Franc) that's pulled from just 45% of the total production and spends 18 months in 50% new barrels. Beautiful black raspberry, cassis, white flowers, and chalky mineral notes all define the nose, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, elegant mouthfeel, impressive tannins, and a great finish. It shows the cooler, fresher style of the vintage, yet I suspect the pH is solid, and it offers plenty of fruit. I'd be a buyer."
91-
93
LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Laroque is composed of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Yields were 41 hl/ha and it is aging in French oak barriques, 50% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sails out with evocative notes of plum preserves and blackberry pie, followed by hints of star anise, lavender, fallen leaves and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate delivers taut, muscular black fruits with a grainy texture and a lively backbone, finishing long and earthy."
91-
93
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "With nice color, the wine already shows flowers, licorice, dark red pit fruits, and just a hint of chocolate. Soft, polished and fresh, with sweet, juicy, black cherries and silky tannins, and plenty of juicy, dark fruits in the finish, this should be simply delicious to enjoy on release. The wine was made with 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place October 1 - October 18. Drink from 2023-2037."
90
FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Frische Pflaumen, zart nach Karamell, ein Hauch von Kräutern und Tabak. Mittlerer Körper, rotbeerige Nuancen, finessenreicher Säurebogen, zarte Tannine, salziger Abgang, ein schlanker Begleiter bei Tisch."
