Château Laroque 2023 en Primeur

Aromas of currants, crushed stones, chalk and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins that are integrated and polished. Red currant, cherry and orange peel flavors with a salty undertone. It’s refined and beautiful, with finesse and complexity. 99% merlot and 1% cabernet franc. So drinkable now. Drink or hold.

A blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Laroque is broodier and more introverted than expected, revealing aromas of smoke, licorice, gentian and dark wild berries. Medium- to full-bodied, firm and dense, it is structured around a compact core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a long, ethereal and saline finish. Two to four years in bottle should allow it to unwind.

Really perfumed nose, highly scented with purple flowers and dark ripe fruit - blackcurrant, damson plum and black cherry. Deep aromatics with lots of tobacco and clove spice on the nose. It’s heady, strongly scented and alive. Cool and crisp on the palate, smooth, so silky, really effortless in the tannin presentation. Juicy and clean, so bright, but not sour or tart, just the right side, so it’s lifted but not overly austere. Once the acidity calms down in comes the salty, mineral base giving lots of liquorice, wet stone and graphite tones, putting you squarely on limestone. Fruit is ripe and there is the softest chew to the expression but it keeps a relatively sleek frame. A bit minty. I would have thought there was more Cabernet in the blend than there is. It’s not so layered, but it’s certainly finessed and graceful on the palate with lots of precision and movement from start to finish. One that makes you want another sip straight away. 3.42pH. A great wine from winemaker David Suire. A yield of 46hl/ha. Ageing 50% new oak.