Will Stanley

9.2

The 2019 Chateau Laroque, the first bottle I’ve tried from my orders from the vintage, showed quite differently on the three times I tried it over two days. The overwhelming impression, though, is of an austere, young St. Emilion with great potential.

Tasting best on the second night with no decant from a bottle stoppered with vacuvin, it takes quite some coaxing to reveal aromas of fresh blackcurrant, cherry paste and tobacco. There’s a lot of graphite, too, but little else - it feels really coiled up, with great walls of defense. The palate is much more forthcoming, especially on the second night, immediately gushing with cassis, blueberry and fig, and a very tannic mouthfeel. FYI, on the first evening I decanted the wine for 4+ hours, and it didn’t show as well.

I’m curious: in your experiences with young BDX, do you decant or pop ’n pour?

Either way, this is a potentially great wine that’s hard to score right now - and I won’t touch again for another four years at least. — 2 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.4

Blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). Dark garnet color. Aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberries, dark chocolate, beef jerky, black tea, figs and tobacco. Kevin Zraly mentioned Hoisin Sauce in his review! Mineral and wet gravel on the finish. Full bodied but quite pure and elegant. Excellent structure and length. Fabulous! — 2 days ago

Martinez

9.0

100% Merlot. Deep garnet color. Elegant, delicate nose with aromas of berries, cassis, graphite and a hint of charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, quite juicy, fruit-forward. Luxurious. Soft, rounded tannins — 16 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.5

Still a baby but WOW! Blend of Merlot (49%), Cabernet Franc (39%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (12%). Intensely aromatic featuring currants, tobacco dried purple flowers, fresh soil and a very pleasant green note. Deep black fruit on the pallet with hints of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, Asian spices and crushed stones. A touch of saline on the lengthy finish. Beautiful dusty texture. Medium-plus body. Nicely polished and well integrated. Powerful but elegant at the same time. Incredible! — 2 days ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.3

Medium garnet, intense aromas of dried herbs, tobacco, dried strawberry, dried cherry, forest floor, farmyard and green bell pepper introduce the 2001 Château Figeac. Full-bodied, creamy textured and with rustic, ripe tannins, the palate belongs to a hedonistic, sexy beast of a wine built for a long life in bottle. Everything is in perfect balance. If spotted on a wine list at a decent price, I wouldn't hesitate. Drink now until 2035. — 4 days ago

Jeff Miller

9.3

Absolutely love this wine. Smooth and velvety. Rich dark black cherry and black currant, tobacco leaf, cedar, and tar. Delicious and mouth coating with a long finish. — 4 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2020 vintage. Another great effort from this Château. Already easy drinking. A lot of sweet fruit, smooth with a nice ripe tannic bite, freshness and good length. Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Cabernet Sauvignon 9%, Carmenère 2% and Noir de Pressac (aka Malbec) 2%. Abv. 14,5%. Hubert de Boüard consults.Don't know if it will make old bones ( a 2008 recently tasted was totally over the hill). — 13 days ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.6

Wafts of dried red fruits, pencil shaving, dried blackberry, blueberry, cigar box and a dash of black truffle emerge from the glass. Deep garnet, the 2001 Château Ausone plays in its own league within the 2001 Bordeaux vintage. Full-bodied and expanding like a kaleidoscope, the palate is characterized by fine-grained, pixelated tannins, high fruit concentration and a long-lasting, majestic finish. This is serious stuff. Drink now until 2040. — 4 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.4

Blend of Merlot (72%) and Cabernet Franc (28%). Mineral driven Bordeaux blend. Dark ruby color. Intense aromas of wet stones, violets, forest floor and black fruit. Pallet is full of raspberries, currants, black tea and those ever present minerals. Chalky texture. Medium-plus body. Fresh, intense and vibrant! Beautifully constructed. Fabulous! — 2 days ago

Paul K

9.6

Friendsgiving and I’m in charge of wine. Just popped this before giving a gods 3 hrs of air. Already sexy. More to come if I can get time to comment!
Oh my. This is getting oohs and ahhs. So good. Upping from 95 to 96 — 19 days ago