France

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Cabernet Franc

Petit Verdot

Malbec

Ch. Gruaud Larose

Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe Saint-Julien

Bordeaux

Saint-Julien

Gorgeous dark ruby colour with vivid reflections, slow and steady reveal of grilled earth, savoury rose bud, peony, black tea and floral Cabernet finesse. This is a little softer than the recent exceptional vintages of Gruaud, but the fragrant aromatics have a ton of charm, and this shows skilful construction. Harvest 27 September to 8 October, 3.55pH, 31hl/h yield, slap bang on the appellation average, organic certified. 40% of production in this 1st wine. 95% new oak for ageing.

Inside Bordeaux

Deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of red currant jelly, fresh blackberries, and raspberry coulis sail from the glass, plus fragrant wafts of red roses and allspice. The light to medium-bodied palate is lively and plush with delicate red and black berry flavors and a perfumed finish.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Gruaud Larose leaps with vibrant notes of cassis, fresh blackberries, and mulberries giving way to nuances of tapenade, iris, pencil shavings, and iron ore. The palate is light-bodied and airy, with beautiful poise and soft silky tannins, delivering a lively burst of mineral and red berry notes on the finish. This is nicely done! The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.80.

Expert

The 2021 Gruaud Larose is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs from the glass with vibrant notes of kirsch, juicy raspberries, and fresh blackcurrants giving way to underlying scents of violets, licorice, and wild sage plus a touch of pencil lead. The light to medium-bodied palate delivers lovely harmony, with impressively sustained mid-palate fruit and lots of mineral and earth accents framed by fine-grained tannins, finishing with great purity.

Beautiful depth and character here, with violet flowers on the first nose. Supple but present tannins, there is architecture and a firm core to this wine, something to hold on to as it ages, with the classic elegance of 2020 giving shoulders and tension to the tannins. As it opens you find ruby red fruits, raspberry and loganberry along with pencil lead and smoked earth. The construction is impressive, a clear sign that Gruaud Larose is back up among the greatest estates of St Julien,living up to its 1855 2nd Growth billing. In organic conversion as of 2019, with certification due in 2022 for the vineyard, 95% new oak, 1/3 of production in this wine (following extensive vineyard replantings, so this percentage will rise over the next decade). Virginie Sallette winemaker, Eric Boissenot consultant. Harvest from October 9 to 24.

Sommelier

Bjørnebær, solbær, pipetobakk, sedertre og røyk på nese. Der er den - Saint-Juliens særegne, intense og forførerske sjarme! Hjernens sensoriske senter trekkes mot aromaen som om det skulle være et sort hull. Dette er naturligvis for ungt for å få frem det totale aromaspekteret, men for et potensiale! Utsøkt balanse gjennom hele drikkekurven, og elegansen er unormalt høy fra denne adressen. Flott, tydelig tanninstruktur, meget god lengde! Utsøkt Bordeaux!

WSET 2

Bjørnebær, solbær, tobakk, julekrydder, treverk og blyantkvess på nese. Ikke så kompleks i årgangen som denne adressen kan levere i de beste år, men okke som en hedonistisk forførende nese. I munnen en Bordeaux med overraskende tilgjengelig for alderen. Oppleves som åpen, men stor kropp og herlig friskhet. Tanninstrukturen er relativt finkornet og polert. Meget god lengde. Absolutt drikkbar nå, men kan kanskje tjene litt på noen år til på langs. Ikke en årgang for dekadene. 

Dark ruby in colour, this has really come into its own over the past 6 years, proving wrong those who underestimated it during En Primeur. Emphasis right now on creamy dark fruits that envovlop everything, with real volume through the mid palate and a slow build along with sinewy tannins that grip the front of the mouth. This has so much potential, and I suggest still giving it another three or four years. 90% new oak (a big jump up from the 2010), harvset September 29 to October 15. The improvements brought by the vineyard restructing programme, that had begun in 2008, were starting to be felt at this point.

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Gruaud Larose features delicate notes of crushed rocks and forest floor over a core of blackcurrant preserves and Christmas cake with a touch of cigar box. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing on a lingering minerally note.

Deep garnet in color, the 2013 Gruaud Larose sings of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and stewed black tea leading to wafts of dusty soil and dried Provence herbs. The light to medium-bodied palate is lively and chewy, with delicate red fruit flavors and a firm, mineral-laced finish.

Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Gruaud Larose needs a bit of shaking to wake up notes of plum pudding, raisin cake, and dried mulberries plus wafts of tobacco leaf, new leather, and rusty nails. The medium-bodied palate is rugged, chewy, and a little rustic, with soft acidity and a spicy lift on the finish.

Deep garnet in color, the 2011 Gruaud Larose offers up wafts of dusty soil, iron ore, and dried herbs leading to a core of fig preserves, mince pie, and dried cranberries with a touch of tobacco. The light to medium-bodied palate has a chewy texture and lively acidity, with subtle, mature dried berries and earthy flavors, finishing a little firm.

The 2010 Gruaud Larose is medium to deep garnet-colored with a touch of brick. A little closed and broody to begin, it unfurls to reveal notes of unsmoked cigars, crushed rocks, and fallen leaves over a core of dried blackberries and fruitcake. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam packed with rich black fruits framed by firm, chewy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long with a whole array of exotic spices.

En duft preget av både mørke og rød bær. Startet med veldig mørk frukt, hvor den bevege seg mer og mer mot en stilriktig «feminin» Saint Julien stil. Etter noe luft får jeg mer syrlige mørke solbær, tobakk og blyantspiss. 

En smak av solbær, fine pepper- toner, cola og våt jord. Fortsatt god syre, med avslepne tanniner. Veldig elegant utgang. 

The 2008 Gruaud Larose is composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it needs a little coaxing to wake up notes of prunes, blackcurrant pastilles, and dried cranberries opening out to medicinal and leathery notes plus a waft of rusty nails. The medium-bodied palate has a soft texture and well-knit freshness matching the mature, earthy flavors, finishing a little rustic.

The 2007 Gruaud Larose is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it slowly unfurls to offer mature notes of dried figs, fruitcake, and tobacco leading to suggestions of dried sage, cast-iron pan, and tree bark. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good core of ready-to-drink, well-evolved flavors with a chewiness to the texture and a minerally lift on the finish.

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2006 Gruaud Larose is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Evolved notes of prunes, baked blackcurrants, and dusty soil jump from the glass, followed by hints of iron ore, cigar box, and incense. The light to medium-bodied palate is chewy with herbal and mineral sparks intertwined with the dried berry flavors, finishing a little rustic.

The 2005 Gruaud Larose is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It needs a moment of swirling to bring out fragrant notes of rosehip tea, crushed rocks, dried lavender, and red loam leading to a core of prunes, redcurrant jelly, and black truffles. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with energetic black and red berry layers supported by firm, fine-grained tannins and lovely tension, finishing long and minerally.

Toasted caramel notes on the opening beats, with a gourmet roundness through the mid palate that is a little more marked than you might expect. Clear sense of freshness and lift, along with a silky texture to the tannins. This is a very successful 2004, particularly in comparison to some of the more abrupt tannins that you find from many in this vintage. Extremely high yields, over 50hl/h, 35% new oak, harvest Septembe 27 to October 19.

The 2003 Gruaud Larose is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. It opens with notes of stewed black cherries, raspberry preserves, and baked plums leading to hints of tobacco leaf, Chinese five spice, and iron ore plus a waft of dried sage. The light to medium-bodied palate is a little thin and chewy, with lively acidity and a savory,  rustic finish.

A stubborn vintage that remains bedded down, but shows beautifully as it opens. Caramel and smoked cedar aromatics, with a darker register overall than the 2001 - cassis, bilberry, black pepper, all densely structured. It's an excellent wine, but less signature Gruaud Larose/St Julien than some of the others in the lineup, more strict, reflecting a vintage where it was a little tougher to reach full ripeness. Give this a long carafe to let the tannins soften, and the beauty will appear, with a juicy mint leaf finish, and gentle smoky notes that curl up out of the glass. Harvest September 26 to October 6, 35% new oak.

There is a subtlety to this that strikes you immediately - gentle smoke, cold ash, tobacco, white truffle, brambled blackberry fruits, mint leaf, totally sublime, my favourite of the line up so far. It plays to the strengths of St Julien, and plays with nuanced light-and-shade in a way that the 2000 does not at this point. This is a high score for Gruaud Larose, and reflects the heights that this vintage is reaching right now - tracking how long it stays at this level is part of the beauty of wine. I tasted two versions, one decanted and one not - the smokey side is more evident in the carafe, but I preferred allowing it to open more slowly in the glass. Harvest September 21 to October 4, 35% new oak.

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2000 Gruaud Larose swans out of the glass with notes of Indian spices, tobacco leaf, and iron ore leading to wafts of dried flower, iodine, sweaty leather, and incense with a touch of smoked meats. The medium-bodied palate delivers a great core of muscular fruit with bright acidity to balance and plush, powdery tannins, finishing long and ferrous.

Medium to deep brick in color, the 1999 Gruaud Larose delivers fragrant, mature notes of new leather, unsmoked cigars, charcuterie, and dried herbs giving way to notes of Christmas cake and sandalwood with a hint of rusty nails. The light to medium-bodied palate is fully mature, with loads of tertiary expression and soft, powdery tannins, finishing with a lively lift.

Deep plum in colour, this is utterly gorgeous. A real sense of energy and drive through the palate, with a savoury brushed-velvet quality to the tannins that takes you straight into St Julien, this magic corner of Bordeaux. Tobacco, campfire notes, black cherry, raspberry puree and saffron strands. Not quite as persistent as you might first imagine, but this is a beautiful wine. They were using a touch of Malbec at this point, pulled up as of 2008. Harvest September 29 to October 13, 35% new oak.

The 1996 Gruaud Larose is medium to deep brick in color. It pops out of the glass with surprisingly open-knit notes of baked plums, stewed blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles followed by suggestions of dried roses, star anise, smoked meats, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate offers mouth-coating, muscular, mature black fruits with loads of smoky/savory nuances and chewy, rugged tannins, finishing long and earthy.

Medium brick colored, the 1990 Gruaud Larose opens with gorgeous floral notes of dried roses and lavender before giving way to kirsch, fallen leaves, leather, and iron ore notes plus a touch of dried bay leaves. The light to medium-bodied palate is delicate and intense, with plush tannins and fantastic tension, finishing with loads of mineral, exotic spice, and mature fruit layers.

Ruby red with a brown rim. Leather, tobacco, dried plum and some blackcurrant. Fresh acidity. Smooth and delicate. Spice, dark berries, leather and minerals. Layered and velvety. Still has a nice tannic backbone. Very very long.

Medium rød, bruning. Solbær, Sigareske, kassen fra tørket frukt, syrlig tobakk, våt skogsbunn, sopp, trøffel, soya. Medium syre, balansere nydelig med en fin frukt, balansen er helt på topp. Nydelige konsentrasjon i munnen med fult integrerte tanniner som kan gi en svar tørr tone i slutten. Sitter lenge

Double magnum: Transparent ruby with an orange rim. Sweet cherries, licorice, spice, figs and dates. Fresh acidity. Delicate and balanced with sweet sour cherries, truffles, tobacco, dried plum, figs and dates. Integrated polished tannins. Very long.

Wow! When a wine just impresses you!

En veldig interessant vin, for den har tydelig yngre frukt enn 28, mer syre, mer spice, mer power, mer av alt egentlig. Men den er ikke like balansert, og det gjør at den er *litt* (på papiret) dårligere enn 28 - men uansett for en vin. Den treffer kjeften på så mange bra måter.

4 liters - Transparent ruby with an orange rim. Delicate nose with violets, dark berries, perfume, figs and dates. Fresh acidity. Tobacco, truffles, figs dates and dark mature berries. Velvety. Fully integrated tannins. Very long.

Dobbelmagnum. En strålende vin, alle de klassiske utviklede Bordeaux-aromaene, og fortsatt mye rød frukt - men noe over kanten. 

Perfekt finish - ren og stram rødfrukt - potente kalkaktige tanniner - sublim syre - en vakker vin

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Ch. Gruaud Larose
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julien
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
Acid	%
Sugar	g/l

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