Château Laroque 2025

Château Laroque is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru in Bordeaux, the largest undivided estate in the appellation at 61 hectares, held by the Beaumartin family since 1935 and farmed with respect for the land. The wine blends Merlot, which gives the flesh, ripe plum fruit and rounded texture, with Cabernet Franc, which adds aromatic lift, freshness and structure. The estate sits on the Saint-Émilion plateau, where limestone and clay soils retain water through warm summers and lend the wines their freshness and grip, while the Atlantic moderated climate ripens the fruit steadily. After fermentation the wine ages twelve months in French oak, where the tight grained wood allows a slow oxygen exchange that firms the tannins and adds fine spice and toast without overwhelming the fruit. It is deep and youthful in the glass, with ripe plum, black cherry and red berry fruit on the nose over tobacco, oak and a cocoa, earthy depth. The palate is full bodied and structured, the tannins firm but polished, the finish long. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead, with roast beef, lamb or game.