Château Laroze 2020 is a classic and well-balanced red wine from Saint-Émilion with clear Grand Cru Classé character. The style is elegant rather than heavy, with ripe fruit, fine structure, and a freshness that gives the wine both energy and ageing potential. The 2020 vintage comes across as generous and concentrated, yet at the same time harmonious, making it an attractive choice both for the traditional Bordeaux customer and for those seeking a more nuanced, food-friendly wine.
Tasting notes
The palate is dense and nuanced, with notes of dark and red berries, plum, spice, cedar, toasted oak, and a light floral touch. The tannins are present yet ripe, and the overall impression is one of balance, freshness, and length. Cabernet franc appears to play an important role in the wine’s profile, likely contributing lift, aromatic complexity, and a firmer, more elegant finish. As a result, 2020 stands out as a vintage with both power and finesse.
How it is produced
The most likely blend for 2020 is 60% merlot, 30% cabernet franc, and 10% cabernet sauvignon. The grapes were hand-harvested between mid and late September after a warm, dry growing season with excellent phenolic ripeness. Vinification takes place in stainless steel and concrete tanks, and the 2020 vintage sheet indicates an ageing period of 18 months, mainly in oak barrels, with around 50% new oak, complemented by tank ageing and a small proportion of amphora. The result is a wine with depth, texture, and precision.
What makes the wine unique
Château Laroze stands out in Saint-Émilion for its unusually high proportion of cabernet franc, which gives it a more aromatic and structured style than many of its more merlot-dominant neighbours. The estate itself describes the wine as being built around balance and harmony, and the 2020 vintage reinforces that impression with ripe fruit, a fresh backbone, and a distinctly classic Bordeaux character. The combination of a historic Grand Cru Classé estate, family-owned continuity, and a vintage that unites concentration with elegance makes this wine particularly compelling.
About the producer
Château Laroze is a family-owned estate with deep roots in Saint-Émilion. The Gurchy family were winegrowers in the area as early as 1610, and the Laroze estate itself was founded in 1882. The château has been classified as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé since the very first classification in 1955, and the estate covers around 27 hectares of silica and clay soils just outside the medieval village of Saint-Émilion. The producer also places strong emphasis on sustainable vineyard work, without herbicides and with a clear focus on purity and balance in the wine.
