2016 CHÂTEAU GRUAUD LAROSE 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien, Lea & Sandeman

CHÂTEAU GRUAUD LAROSE

2017 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Saint Julien
Classification 2ème Cru Classé
ABV 14%

The 2017 Gruaud Larose, which was bottled June 2019, is a little smudged on the nose compared to some of its peers, and I would say, compared to the nascent 2018. Attractive brambly red fruit mixed with cigar humidor and attic aromas that just require more precision and intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. What it lacks is mid-palate weight, rendering this an easy-going Gruaud Larose that will not have the longevity of vintages either side. That said, it is a perfectly decent Claret. Drinking range: 2021 - 2038 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)


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The 2017 Gruaud Larose was picked from 15 to 20 September for the Merlot and from 21 to 3 October for the Cabernets, fermented in wood and cement tanks and aged in French oak, 80% new for 18 to 24 months. It comes in with 12.88° alcohol. Quite deep in colour, it has an introverted bouquet at first that demands a lot of coaxing from the glass. There are notes of black cherry, iodine and just a touch of pencil lead. The palate is medium-bodied with finely balanced. An unpretentious but pretty Gruaud Larose that is benefitted by what is clearly a prudent extraction. The oak is neatly integrated with a linear, almost pastille-like finish and quite a sustained aftertaste. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)

The 2017 Gruaud Larose is pliant, deep and quite expressive, while staying light on its feet. In 2017, Gruaud is a wine of precision and nuance rather than volume. There is lovely persistence and nuance in the glass. Even so, I can't help thinking there is quite a bit of unrealized potential here. All of the wine was fermented in oak vats, with slightly higher than normal temperatures for the Cabernets. Rating: 89-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2018)

Mid greyish crimson. Sweetness of black fruit and oak spice on the nose with a hint of vanilla. Fresh, very light on the palate but the tannins are silky enough to be in balance with this rather light-bodied wine. Harmonious but it seems too light for the very long term. Drinking range: 2025 - 2032 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)

Château Gruaud Larose

St Julien Deuxième cru 1855 The story of Château Gruaud Larose starts with Joseph Stanislas Gruaud who developed the estate in the early 18th Century. Two of his descendents ended up with different halves of the Gruaud estate until, in 1778, Chevalier de Gruaud died and left his portion to his son-in-law Joseph Sébastien de la Rose who immediately appended his name to the estate. Gruaud-Larose was split further in 1867, with Château Gruaud-Larose-Sarget and Château Gruaud-Larose-Faure being seperate until 1935 when the Cordier family, who'd bought the Sarget half in 1919, bought Gruaud-Larose-Faure and put the old estate back together again. Ownership by the Cordiers, and the association with other similarly labelled wines in the portfolio - Talbot, Meyney - kept Château Gruaud Larose as a consistent favourite among Bordeaux lovers. Gruaud-Larose is now owned by the Taillan Group. There are 82ha of vineyard, just to the south west of Beychevelle - 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. A second wine was introduced in 1979 - Sarget de Gruaud-Larose. Gruaud-Larose is among the fuller-bodied styles of St Julien, producing consistently good wines and, whilst the crown of "best estate in St Julien" sits with Leoville Las Cases, the wines of Gruaud-Larose are always worth following.

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