The 2017 Laroque has a nicely defined bouquet with scents of blackberry and cranberry, lilting in style, nothing pretentious but gaining clarity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin compared to the 2016 last year. But this feels balanced with a smooth texture, moderate in terms of depth with a slightly saline finish. 88-90 points

Located up at 102m, the second highest point in the appellation after Troplong Mondot, the grand vin had no frost and a normal yield (accounting for 45% of production), although the Cabernet Francs were slightly affected by the September rains and so very little was used in the grand vin. They use a La Tribaie machine at harvest to measure the density of individual berries, something that came in handy in 2017. The wine has a gorgeous floral and savoury edge with extremely attractive, dark berry fruits. There`s an extreme salinity and minerality, the steely austerity of a young Laroque holding back the brush of sexy St-Émilion damson fru

The 2017 Laroque is the best vintage so far at Laroque under the stewardship of David Suire. A rush of dark red cherry, blackberry, smoke, licorice, lavender and incense give the 2017 a distinctly dark, brooding personality. In 2017, Laroque is 99% Merlot and just 1% Cabernet Franc. Ample, broad and creamy, Laroque has a lot to offer. It may very well be the single most improved wine in Saint-Émilion over the last few years. The Grand Vin is a selection of the best parcels across the three terroirs – argillo/calcaire, red clay and blue clay – that run through the property. 91-94 points