Chateau Laroque 2015

JAMES SUCKLING: "Attractive dark plums and berries with hints of mocha, leading to an upbeat, fleshy palate. Dark chocolate, berry and plum flavors with plush, lengthy tannins. Drink or hold."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Powerful and ripe, this is a solid, serious wine. It has dark tannins that are integrated into the rich black fruits. The wood is filling the texture with spice and a touch of bitter chocolate. It will be a full, dense wine, lifted by its juicy acidity."

DECANTER: "One of the largest estates in the appellation, with the two distinct types of terroir now vinified separately to maximise the individual expressions. It's a showcase of how 2015 is lifting all of the estates in this appellation, and although this estate can be a little inconsistent, here we have tight but well integrated dark fruit flavours. It's austere, as is often the case with Laroze in its early years, but will go the distance and then some."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2015 Château Laroque (89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon) from winemaker David Suire is a beauty offering tons of floral nuances in its ripe red and blue fruits, violets and bouquet garni like aromas and flavors. Ripe, opulent, and broad on the palate, with sweet tannin and a charming, yet surprisingly lengthy style, it has the depth and concentration to keep for 10-15 years."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Warm plum sauce, crushed blackberry and cassis flavors form the core, supported by an ample lacing of black licorice and toasted apple wood notes. Offers a brambly edge, with the apple wood element holding sway on the finish, but there's enough fruit to wait this out. Best from 2023 through 2035. 11,667 cases made. — JM"

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2015 Laroque is one of the grandest properties in Saint Émilion - an expansive vineyard with a château that would make most Left Bank properties look small. It has an attractive bouquet with dark black cherries, cassis and violets, well defined and with attractive, expressive Merlot that is kept under control. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, well-judged acidity, cohesive in the mouth with black fruit, a touch of truffle and a pleasant saline finish. New winemaker David Siure (see Pavie-Macquin, Larcis-Ducasse etc) has clearly had an impact on this Saint Émilion, and delivered a wine commensurate of its grand building. This will be a name to follow in the future."

WEINWISSER: "89 % Merlot, 10 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Intensives, reifes Kirschenbouquet, leicht unterlegt mit Mokkanuancen, ausladend. Im Gaumen sehr saftig, füllige Textur, tolle Länge. Nach Jahren der Lethargie hat der Direktor David Suire das historische Château aus dem Dornröschenschlaf gehoben. 50 % der Ernte wurden deklassiert. Produktion des Grand Vin: 140.000 Flaschen. Das ist eine der grössten Vin-Produktionen in Saint-Émilion, basiert auf 61 Hektar."