Château Laroque: Vineyards
Château Laroque and its vineyards are located on the limestone plateau to the east of the town of St Emilion, in the eastern peripheries of the appellation. This is not a region populated by the most famous names of this appellation, although some will certainly be familiar. The best-known is perhaps Château Fombrauge which is located directly north of Château Laroque. To the west lies Château Haut-Sarpe, Château Clos de Sarpe, Château Sansonnet and, closer to St Emilion, Château Trotte Vieille. Further east is Château Boutisse and, no doubt somewhat better known, Château Valandraud.
The Laroque estate is very large, indeed it is the largest estate in all St Emilion. The vineyards extend westwards, sweeping around two old windmills positioned to take advantage of the breeze atop the plateau, but today they lie sadly derelict. There are 61 hectares of vineyard altogether, all gathered around the château and windmills with no distant plots. As described in my introduction, however, of the 61 hectares planted only 27 hectares, situated on the best south-facing slopes, are destined for the grand vin, that which was ranked grand cru classé in 1996. The fruit from the other 34 hectares is destined for a separate cuvée.
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