France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Caberlot

Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste 5eme Cru Classe Pauillac

Bordeaux

Pauillac

We are in classic Grand Puy Lacoste territory here, great balance, good freshness, Pauillac typicity, less concentration than 2022, showing instead bright cassis and blackberry fruits, salted cracker edge, liquorice, graphite, spiced cocoa beans, and flashes of fresher redcurrants on the close of play. Great quality, and you can see the fine ageing potential stretching ahead. 75% new oak, rest one year old, around 60% of production in this 1st wine (this is similar each year, as here the vineyard footprint has not changed since 1855). Harvest September 11 to 28.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Grand-Puy-Lacoste slowly emerges with restrained notes of crushed black and red currants, fresh blackberries, and raspberry leaves plus suggestions of lilacs and underbrush with a waft of wild thyme. The light to medium-bodied palate is soft and lively, with just enough mid-palate intensity and an herbal lift on the finish. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Medium to full intensity inky plum colour, cold campfire and grilled cedar on the opening with vibrant plum fruits alongside, good quality, on the fresh side, but savoury and sappy with plenty of lift. 70% new oak for 17 months ageing.

Inky depths to the colour. Violet edging, bitter black chocolate and graphite, can feel the grain of the tannins, and the beautiful balance and juice to damson, cassis and plum puree fruits. Captures just the right amount of drama without sacrificing Pauillac character, this is a wine that is clearly going to age extremely well, with depth of flavour and rich tannic frame that shows how 2022 can succeed in the right hands. 75% new oak, 3.57ph. Harvest earliest ever, beginning on September 7 (2003 was September 15), 60% of production in the 1st wine, Eric Boissenot consultant. 38hl/h yield, a little over the Pauillac average.

The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls to reveal evocative notes of raspberry coulis and redcurrant jelly, leading to a core of cassis, cedar, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is bright, crunchy, and tightly wound, with a racy backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing with a red berry lift.

WSET 3

Expert

Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It strides boldly out of the glass with notions of baked blackberries, plum preserves, and warm cassis, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, cedar, and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant with grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing savory.

A lighter-framed vintage that will be ready to drink before the classic 10 year window. You see hints of this immediately in the plum colour, with shadings of a lighter raspberry around the rim even at four years old. The fruit is savoury blackcurrant and bilberry, with sculpted tannins that make their presence felt. Elegance and finesse show the Cabernet dominance, and the slate and smoke edge give complexity. Needs a few years but I would keep checking in, because there will come a point - as with the 2007s before it - that this will offer succulent drinking pleasure, and for me it is one of the clear standout successes of the 2017 vintage in Pauillac. Harvest September 15 to 29. 75% new oak, technical director Christel Spinner, consultant Eric Boissenot.

Inky red in colour, the fruits are concentrated and knitted down and need some coaxing out of the glass to really open up - make sure you carafe this even if leaving for another few years, and enthusiastically swirl to let that oxygen in. As it opens you start to appreciate just how great this wine is - so balanced, so Pauillac, feathered but rich tannins, zero dip through the mid palate, black truffle, graphite and pencil lead set against cassis cassis and a little more cassis. The tertiary flavours won't come in for at least another decade, because everything here is so concentrated. Everything that you love about Grand Puy Lacoste is right here in this glass, and a vintage that shows what truly ripe fruits brings to Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvest September 28 to October 13. 75% new oak.

Vanskelig å mene noe om denne, det er enorm frukt og ennå mer massive tanniner, god syre frukt balanse og en massiv konsentrasjon, men foreløpig er det stort sett det jeg får ut av det Men at dette er viner som vil høste store lovord om 20 års tid føler jeg meg ganske så trygg på,

WSET 2

Dark cassis fruit, with pencil lead, flint and crushed mint leaf, reserved and savoury and full of understated pleasure. This is starting to tip towards tertiary as the drinking window opens, but GPL is a wine that keeps delivering over decades, and this Cabernet dominant fruit isn't going anywhere. Sleek and finessed, and just a little bit subdued. 75% new oak. Harvest September 25 to October 9, Eric Boissnot consultant.

Plenty of tannic grip and it is clear this delivers Pauillac character in the form and shape of the tannins. Not the compelling depths of the best years of GPL, but there is life here, with charcoal, campfire, smoked earth, brambled black fruits and edges of mint. 70% new oak.

Dufter av røde bær og eik.
Saftig og fyldig klassisk bordeaux frukt på smak med en kjølig karakter. Integrerte tanniner, litt kort finish

Sommelier

GPL leverer! Ikke fullt så fantastisk som 2008 var for noen uker siden, men for en årgang mange ser ned på så gir dette meg mye glede i alle fall. Sparer resten til gjensyn i morga kveld så får se om den kan gi enda litt mer. 

Amatør

Intense and closed off at first, full of espresso and bitter black chocolate. I have tasted this a few times over the past few years, and it is still not budging. There is plenty of loganberry and blackcurrant fruit here but it continues to be dominated by tannins, spiced turmeric, cloves and crushed rocks. Needs more time and you have to hope you catch it at the right moment - or really ensure a long carafe.

Here we are in classic Pauillac territory, still young even at 15 years old, with a ton of tannic grip, slate and pencil lead, cassis and cocoa bean, channeling tension, freshness and bright fruits. A wonderful example of the vintage, needs a few more years than really being in its drinking window, but this is exceptional quality. 70% new oak for ageing.

Extremely fragrant, this confims what I am finding with many 2007s right now - that this is a great moment to drink them. This has gorgeous swirling smoke aromatics, black tea, tar, eucaplyptus, mint, beautifully sweet plum, black cherry and blackberry fruits, just the most perfect moment to drink this wine and punching way above expectations. That is phenomenally elegant, juicy, mouthwatering with tension and fine tannins that you can feel stretching out. The surprise of the vertical for me. If you are going to pick one to open now, this is the one. Harvest September 24 to October 8.

We are really getting in to the stride at this point of what you get with an older Grand Puy Lacoste - it is so juicy, so restrained, beautifully balanced. This is a vintage which is pretty surly in many cases but here it feels effortless, brushed with pencil lead and eucalpytus, still young with plenty to give. Entering that window when you could drink it tomorrow or in 15 years and you would be getting the same experience - the early austerity is just beginning to disappear, and behind you have essence of Pauillac. Serve a little cool to allow the floral character to unfold as it warms up. Harvest September 21 to October 4.

Mørk,, nesten sort denne. Mørk frukt, skogsbærblanding med blåbær, bjørnebær osv. Med+ Syre med en bløt mørk frukt, kraftige tanniner. Ikke like kompleks og delikat som 00 akkurat nå, men dette tror jeg blir veldig bra

Interesting to see the difference in the shape of the tannins with the 2005; this is a gorgeous wine but with slightly harder edges. Impressively fresh acidities that emphasisd crushed mint and eucalyptus, still with great juice through the finish. Proof again of how Grand Puy Lacoste overperfoms in challenging vintages. Classic, balanced, plenty of textured slate on the finish. Harvest September 27 to October 13, 70% new oak.

The deep gravel soils that you find at Grand Puy Lacoste are not ideal for a vintage as hot and dry as 2003, and you do feel the impact of drier fruits, with fig and prune evident along with more generous blackberry and raspberry. Still has a fresh feel on the finish with fennel, eucalyptus and autumnal leaf aromatics. This is gentle and appealing, softer than many vintages but still with personality and hold. Harvest October 15 to 26, 70% new oak.

Mørk, lett orange kant. Frukten nærmest velter ut av glasset i form av en potpurri av mørke bær. Svak bålrøyk og begynnende modningstoner i form av sigarkasse/ søtlig tobakk. Medium syre som blit tett fulgt opp en av kraftig frukt av solbær, litt blåbær og bjørnebær, fine strukturerte tanniner løfter det fint opp til en helt enestående balanse og meget høy konsentrasjon. Fruktig og syrlig utgang som holder lenge.

Mørk kjerne, antydning til orange i kanten. Mørke bær, et snev av alkohol stikk, litt brett og sigarkasse. Medium syre, mørk blå frukt mot solbær og blåbær, litt hul i mellompartiet også denne. Tørrende tanniner uten særlig mye struktur. Ikke helt i balanse og litt kort i utgangen.

Soft at 23 years old, fairly high acidities on the finish. After a good 30 minutes in the glass, wonderfully delicate aromatics of rose petals mix with rapsberries, blackerries, soft fennel and sage. Stays in the glass for 30 minutes no problem, soft but still going strong. Harvest 24th of September to 7th of October.

Significantly softer than 1998, beautifully graceful, with whisps of campfire smoke and autumnal hedgerow blackberry puree, held in place by barely there tannins. A warm vintage and you see the generosity. It is absolutely ready to drink, and begging for a quiet corner and a good book. Soft in the finish but with poise and charm. September 18 to October 3.

Mørk kjerne, lysrosa/orange akant. Mørke bær (solbær, krekling, bjørnebær), klassiske modningstoner, men her mer avdempet og i balanse mot frukten. En snev av bålrøk. I starten fikk jeg litt våt ull, men dette blåste av. Med syre, fin blå frukt med strukturerte bløte tanniner. Synes det her er en veldig fin balanse mellom frukt og modning samt at det er en flott konsentrasjon. Sitter medium lenge og der 82/85 er mer meditasjon for meg er dette en skikkelig matvin

Har utviklet seg mye de siste 5 årene - mørk frukt og blyant - tanninstrukturen nærmer seg riktig balanse mot frukten, men 5 år til vil gjøre godt - klassisk bdx

Mørk kjerne, nesten ikke bruning kun et svakt orange preg. Solbær blader, sedertre, søt tobakk, og en litt avdempet men svak blyantkvess. Med tiden dukker noen toner av grillet grønn paprika opp (not my favorite). Medium syre med en umiddelbar mørk frukt som forsvinner og gir et litt hult mellomparti og litt off på balansen. Medium konsentrasjon. Tanninene er avdempet og svakt tørrende uten å egentlig bidra med noen skikkelig struktur til vinen. Medium utgang

Mørk rød kjerne, lys bruning i kanten. Sedertre, søtlig tobakk, varm jord, lær, blyantkvess og en svak frukt i bakgrunnen med litt appelsinsyre. Meget klassisk og energisk nese. Medium syre med en ok balanse der frukten er forholdsvis avdempet. Fortsatt en fin struktur i tanninene, men selv om de er dempet gir de fortsatt litt tørring og bidrar til at vinen har en fin magi. Utgangen er veldig lang. 

Interesting to try this vintage over the more famous 1982 (apparently lots of English tasters preferred this one at the time). It's a wine with traces of Pauillac tannins and savoury fruits, but these are now very much in autumnal mode, laced with white truffles, rosehips and soy. Not long left on this wine, I would suggest opening bottles that you have. At this point it was in the early years of ownership by the Borie family, who came on board in 1978.

Transparent ruby with an orange rim. Mushrooms, herb, crowberries, forest floor, figs and dates. Fresh acidity. Light and playful. Tobacco, leather, sweet sour figs and dates. Delicate with integrated tannins. Long.

The colour is almost identical to the 1981, even though 34 years older. Tawny, laced with saline oyster shell notes from the start. Smoked duck, faded rose petals, with the most lovely lilting acidities raising berry fruits against lace tannins. Raymond Dupin was owner at the time, having bought it in 1939, and was just returned from being held as a prisoner of war during WW2 (he fought in WW1 also, so must have had stories to tell around his Pauillac supper table). Things were tough in 1947, with supplies scarce, and yet Dupin made a wine that still has a force of character, and a sense of energy. It's one of those bottles where you feel that as it has gone on for this long, you'd be hard pressed to bet against it going longer.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Vintages	2023
Country	France, Bordeaux, Pauillac
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

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