1969 Château Laroque

Chateau Laroque dates back to the 12th century and remains as it has been—the single largest estate in Saint Emilion. The property is known for its imposing and beautiful chateau and meticulously maintained gardens. Owned by the Beaumartin family since the 1930’s, Chateau Laroque has undergone considerable restoration from cellar to vineyard. Today, 40 of the estate’s 61 hectare of vines are classified as Grand Cru Classé. With its long history, imposing foothold within the Saint Emilion community and the fact that Chateau Laroque wines have lately been celebrated as outstanding bottlings likely to age well, the label attracts a good deal of attention from Bordeaux enthusiasts. Bid on Chateau Laroque wine on WineBid today!

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.