On the palate, you’ll find intense cherry fruit (both black and red) and fresh strawberries, offering a ‘creamy’ texture reminiscent of an excellent aged Rioja. The structure includes well-integrated acidity and light tannins, making it moreish and pleasant. Touches of dark chocolate, meaty flavours, and liquorice emerge on the back palate. The aftertaste is clean and intense on the nose. Tertiary aromas dominate, characterized by prunes and ripe fruit, harmoniously blending with spicy and balsamic notes from barrel ageing. Black pepper also serves as a reminder of the Graciano in this blend.
This wine demonstrates its elegance primarily on the palate. Its entrance is subtle, gradually releasing a flood of sensations. Hints of liquorice, candied fruit, and cocoa resurface, as do the balsamic notes detected on the nose. The well-balanced acidity and polished tannins emphasize its silkiness and roundness. It is a plush, sweet, and delicate wine, rich with nuances and complexity.
There is no reason not to purchase this wine unless you are not a fan of the traditionally tertiary style of Rioja Gran Reserva.
Why?
- It has excellent bottle age and is from a legendary vintage (2004, comparable to 1982 or 2005 in Bordeaux).
- It has received fantastic scores (97 from Decanter).
- It is offered at a great price (for reference, Haut Brion 2010 and Mouton 2010 also have the same Decanter score but are selling at significantly higher prices).
- This is a wine to keep (from 2004 onwards).
- It boasts perfect provenance (the frosted Burgundy-style bottle features a label with a Rembrandt-style portrait of a Spaniard, and the bottle is wrapped in a thin, twisted-gold-wire mesh).
- It was recognized as the Wine of the Year (2013) by one of the world’s premier wine magazines, Decanter.
This 2012 Château Lanessan wine is a visual and olfactory delight. Its vibrant blend of colours, including bright, dark, and ruby hues, is a feast for the eyes. The fascinating array of dry extract notes, with aromas of rose, violets, and lavender, and a fresh hint of orange peel, blackcurrant, and fruit pastilles, creates a symphony of summer fruits in full bloom that is sure to captivate your senses.
The wine reflects its aromatic profile on the palate, presenting herbal and spicy dimensions alongside well-balanced red and dark fruit flavours. It has a classic firm structure, is medium-bodied, and showcases mild alcohol 13.5%. The tannins are well integrated by now, and the wine's 'simple' complexity has evolved beautifully. The balanced tension on the palate adds charm, making it a delightful drink that maintains its intensity.
This mid-weight Bordeaux has peaked, offering an exceptional experience for those who fully appreciate its unique qualities. Its short-medium length finish makes it a versatile choice, perfect for both casual drinkers and wine enthusiasts. We would rate this well-balanced and authentic Haut-Médoc at 91 points (DD91)for its incredible ease of drinking, making it a wine that can cater to various preferences and occasions.
The 2012 Château Lanessan, in particular, offers excellent value for its quality, making it a smart choice for any wine lover. The vintage was particularly challenging due to variable weather conditions, yet Lanessan succeeded in producing a classically styled Médoc red wine that is ready to enjoy now. Its style may remind some of Château Gruaud Larose and Château Lynch-Bages. The average age of the vines at Lanessan is 30 years, with a plantation density of 10,000 vines per hectare.
Château Lanessan is a respected Cru Bourgeois property in the Haut-Médoc region of Bordeaux. It describes itself as a Grand Cru Hors Classé, a designation from a previous owner's decision not to submit samples for the 1855 Classification. As a result, its traditional ranking as a 4ème Cru Classé was never ratified. Nonetheless, the chateau is known for producing wines of Cru Classé quality at Cru Bourgeois prices, showcasing exceptional quality and value.
The vinification process occurs in traditional concrete vats, with malolactic fermentation occurring in the tank. The wine is aged for about 12 months in a combination of 33% new French barrels, 33% one-year-old French oak barrels, and 33% two-year-old French oak barrels. The blend comprises 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.
Expert scores for all off-vintage or even some of the best vintages tend to be lower, generally in the 86-92 points range. However, Lanessan wines only add to their appeal, as they allow you to enjoy a wine of this quality at an affordable price, making them an excellent deal for any wine lover.
Let’s learn more about Château Laroze St Emilion Grand Cru Classe and share our insights into its vintages.
The captivating 2012 vintage is a fascinating discovery, showcasing a light, unique style with its rare, bright red fruit and herbal notes. This distinctiveness makes it ideal for early drinking. It offers good length, well-mannered tannins, and maintains a consistent, forward-thinking style, a rarity in a decade marked by warmer years. VindeVert awarded it 93 points, noting the aromatic and elegant nose, particularly those of boysenberry, plum, and delicate hints of cassis, along with touches of undergrowth, mocha, and flowers. The palate reflects the nose and is fruity(small cassis, blackberry, plums), gourmand, elegant, fleshy, and complete, with a racy character. It boasts a beautiful definition, a mineral structure, roundness, suavity, and a velvety texture with nuances of liquorice, chocolate, tobacco, subtle caramelized oak, and a discreet vanilla note. The tannins are just fine and finish elegantly. This is the perfect time to uncork a bottle of 2012 and experience its unique charm.
The 2014 vintage, despite mixed reviews, exhibits a fleshy, juicy appeal, substance, and strength. It showcases a beautiful aromatic freshness on the nose, featuring blackberry, liquorice, and blond tobacco accents. A dynamic, tender acidity is evident on the palate. The tannins are well-structured and exhibit an elegant ripeness, and this St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé (GCC) finishes with a Right Bank sensation of fullness. While it may be considered straightforward by GCC standards, it remains very approachable. Now is the time to enjoy a bottle of 2014 with the right food and be pleasantly surprised by its charm.
The 2015 vintage is medium-bodied, delivering an elegantly styled palate with ripe flavours of plum, cassis, cherries, and blackberry, primarily from Merlot, with one-third Cabernet Franc. It achieves a good balance and features polished tannins, thanks to 70% new oak, which adds a soft creaminess that complements the aromas of grilled almond oak, liquorice, and dark chocolate. It received a JD94 rating. Parker praised this vintage, awarding it RP 93, highlighting its vibrant and expressive notes of red currants, black raspberries, warm plums, and touches of violets, chocolate-covered cherries, lavender, and a hint of fallen leaves. The wine is youthful and exuberant, with layers of red and black fruit, finishing with an abundance of perfume and polish. Very classy! Decanter awarded it 94 points and predicted its longevity, noting that it showcases the characteristics of Cabernet from the Left Bank, making it almost reminiscent of a Médoc. The 2015 vintage is more rewarding than 2014, but that doesn’t mean it drinks better than 2012 and 2014. For now, and within the next five years, you probably won’t want to wait that long!
