Chateau Laroze

Chateau Laroze was established by the great-grandmother of current owner Guy Meslin in 1882. The flowery name refers to the rose bushes planted at the end of the vine rows, also as a symbol of the wine’s fragrance.

The Meslins are direct descendants of the estate’s founders, the Gurchy family, who were producers in St-Emilion in a place called Mazerat as early as 1610. Two centuries later they had joined three small estates together to form a 27 hectare vineyard.

In 1885 they built a chateau, with the estate is located at the foot of the northwest hill of St-Emilion, with the vineyards surrounding the chateau. In 1990 Guy inherited the estate from his father and started to restructure the vineyard, the buildings and the equipment.

I have recently tasted the 2006 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas, showing black fruit such as blackberry, dark plum, cassis and black cherries, oak notes of cedar, pungent spice of licorice, maturity notes of forest floor, animal notes of meaty. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium tannin of ripe and velvety texture. Medium alcohol, it has medium (+) body, and medium intensity flavors of black fruit of blackberry and plum, mineral notes of earth, herbal notes of black tea, herbaceous notes of blackcurrant leaf, oak notes of cedar. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Good quality St-Emilion with a nice, concentrated nose showing good complexity, the wine has a less elegant palate, however, with some unripe flavors. Decent on the intensity and length, it has nevertheless the necessary structure and balance, as well as typical Merlot characters. It is ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 2-3 years.