Chateau Laroque 2025

Really aromatically complex. Ripe and pristine black bramble berries on the nose, perfumed and nicely fragrant. Lovely aromatic purity. Smooth and so silky, smooth, svelte as Laroque does so well. Mouthwatering with bright acidity but so juicy – strawberry and cherry with a hint of cranberry and soft accents of dried herbs liquorice and wet stones. Grippy but so charming even at this point. Tension with freshness, perfectly polished and friendly.

• Nom du critique: Georgie Hindle

The old vine Merlot from the 1950s was crucial to the capacity to manage the stress of the vintage - and one can see that immediately in the clarity and limpidity of the wine in the glass. Staggering purity, staggering lift, staggering energy and staggering precision. The Merlot here is almost rather floral and in this vintage where the best Merlot has some Cabernet character, one might be mistaken into imagining that there is rather more Cabernet in the blend. The impression of harmony is amazing and total. Laroque is utterly gorgeous aromatically and, if anything even more so, on the palate in 2025. The transformation of what has been produced here - and with it the reputation of the wine - over the last decade is extraordinary. This is another vintage everyone will be talking about. I am struck by the gain in viscosity and volume in the mouth in comparison to even the greatest vintages of the past here, due to almost perfect integration of the ulta-fine grained tannins. We're clearly in 'best ever' territory and that's saying something.

• Nom du critique: Colin Hay

The estate's signature floral aromatics are on full display, followed by black raspberries, licorice, spice, espresso, and cherry nuances fill the perfume. Fresh, juicy, vibrant, creamy, and concentrated on the palate, the finish delivers its clean, lifted, salty-edged berries with precision from start to finish. Drink from 2030-2050.

• Fenêtre de dégustation: 2030 - 2050
• Nom du critique: Jeff Leve

Vibrant, salivating acids and beams of tannin are the first signs we are on the clay/limestone plateau in Saint-Émilion's Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes sector. Blood orange, mint, chalk and white pepper bleed into a core of red-toned fruit. Medium in body, with striking energy and tension, Laroque is positively stellar in 2025. This is another superb showing from the team led by Technical Director David Suire.

• Fenêtre de dégustation: 2033 - 2055
• Nom du critique: Antonio Galloni

Notes of dark berries, cassis, spices and licorice, mingled with delicately oaky nuances, preface the 2025 Laroque. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it’s built around a rich core of fruit that is framed by youthful, structured tannins and concludes with a taut, saline finish. While the bouquet shows a darker register, the palate remains fresh, lending the wine an elegant austerity that should integrate further with élevage.

• Nom du critique: Yohan Castaing