Since the arrival of David Suire as director at the start of the 2015 vintage, Château Laroque has had a decade on the up. The ingredients were all there before. A large and varied terroir on a rocky limestone plateau in Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes in St Emilion. A storied Château with diligent owners in the Beaumartin family who have had the property since the 1930s. Yes, the wines of Laroque wines were always pretty good but following the 2018 vintage they have been routinely excellent. Frankly superb wines have been made here at Laroque in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. What’s more they are always competitively priced and offer some of the best value wine in all of Bordeaux. Suire has been the catalyst here, bringing top division winemaking saviour-faire and leadership from decades of making wine alongside Nicolas Thienpont at Château Larcis Ducasse and previously at Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse]. So how has Château Laroque faired in 2024?

I have to say that I’m impressed by what is in the glass in 2024 here. The tricky meteorological conditions of the vintage – the humid weather and threat of rot throughout the growing season, the relative lack of sunshine in the summer as well as the rain in September and October – were a challenge here and required constant vigilance in the vineyard and selection in the cellar. In 2024 selection was very strict indeed. Only 44% of the crop ended up in the grand vin, so that’s a whopping 66% of the crop eliminated from the top wine. Laroque too, as one of the largest properties in St Emilion, will have benefitted from greater choice in the vineyards. There are vines planted on clays facing west, those on the red clays of the limestone plateau and the white clays on the east facing terraces here. This variety of soils and aspects would have also proved useful in a tricky year, along with the drying winds that pass across Laroque’s elevated vineyards [it is also has one of the highest elevations in St Emilion].

The Merlot was harvested between 27th September and 7th October and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on 8th October. The final blend is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc and the yields were 41 hectolitres per hectare. Winery operations were undertaken under gravity and fermentation [whole uncrushed berries] undertaken on a plot by plot basis in small capacity concrete tanks. Ageing on fine lees for 16-18 months will be in a mix of barriques [50% new] as well as some larger oak casks.

The following notes were taken from samples sent in mid-May 2025.

Château Laroque, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Mid depth; legs; vibrant purple at edge; fresh looking; pure blue fruit aromatics; clean and fresh; inky blueberry, black cherry and blackberry notes with some plum and spices; saline freshness too with savoury tones; palate has some depth and structure and there is freshness and zap; mid-weight; nicely handled on the palate and no trace of bitterness; not overly grippy either but the finish is fresh. This wine has delicacy and finesse. Elegant expression of a seriously tricky vintage. More modest perhaps than the recent knockout wines here at Laroque under David Suire’s directorship but excellent purity in the vintage context. Bravo. Expect this to fill out further during élevage. [13.4% alc, PH 3.48, yield 41hl/ha, 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak]. Tasted 17.5.25. Drink 2028-2038. 91-93+