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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 259 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by henrygjeffreys on 4/10/2024: Amazingly considering this is nearly 30 years old there's no bricking at all.
What a nose - stewed fruit, earthy, pencil shaving, tobacco - classic old claret.
Still some big tannins here, grippy but ripe, plenty of dark fruit. Long. This is still young. Not going anywhere. and only 12.5%, love an old Bordeaux. (404 views) | | | Tasted by Scapolite on 2/18/2024 & rated 93 points: **PnP with no decanting; consumed over 3-4 hours in the glass**
Deep ruby, purple colour, opaque. Reddish rimming with slight bricking, definitely showing some age.
On the nose, at first it was a bit muted with mostly tobacco, cigar box, cedar, and wet earth showing. However, as time passed on, the black fruit came out more and more with blackberries, black currants, plums, and meat. The earthy notes, black fruits, and the slight oak are very well integrated. This is such an elegant, complex aroma.
On the palate, medium plus acidity with fine tannins and layered with ripe black fruits, similar to the nose. Notes of blackberries, black currents, and cassis are well integrated with the slight oak, and finishes with a leathery, smoky, a bit of spicy note. As time went on in the glass, the ripe black fruits became more and more prominent.
This is very elegant and complex. The fruit is well intact despite the age, wonderful. (866 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 2/11/2024: Super Bowl LVIII 2024 (Alpharetta, GA): Cellar Diving Wines: This was showing much better than my last tasting of this wine. Paired really well with Beef Bourguignon. (1095 views) | | | Tasted by ankitmehra on 12/21/2023 & rated 93 points: A vintage I’ve come to really enjoy, this Château Gruaud Larose was yet another example of how well the wines from 1995 have turned the corner. Boasting a nose I’ve come to love of the château in the numerous bottles I’ve tried, there’s a subtle elegance to the medley of tobacco, jam, meat and blackcurrant scents that work together in unison. The palate is refined, taking about an hour to truly come to life as the upfront is dominated by smoke and blackcurrant before shifting into an exuberant mid-palate that is extremely well balanced, boasting notes of black cherries, anise, menthol and iron. The finish is mouth coating with the tannins still softening as a sense of gaminess is in play with herbs. This wine has so much fruit intact and is structurally so well balanced, showing off a sense of masculinity with lots of power and actually going against the grain of many of the softer wines I’ve found myself having from this vintage (in a good way!). (1445 views) | | | Tasted by AhSoNice1990 on 12/10/2023 & rated 85 points: Had the 1999 a while back and it was beginning to show decline. This one is very much reaching the end. Very little in the way of tannins left. Sous-bois and barnyard on the nose, then opening up to show hints of black fruit - finish was short. I was expecting more (1384 views) | | | Tasted by VAGentleman on 9/17/2023 & rated 89 points: Took 45 minutes to open up. Cedar, blackberry, brush, leather, some cherry. Enjoyable but not very distinct. Seems like just past prime. (2039 views) | | | Tasted by remyworldpeace on 7/5/2023: No detailed note/score as a small sample tried at BB&R London Shop. Overall this was enjoyable, mature claret. (2135 views) | | | Tasted by novocane on 7/1/2023 & rated 92 points: From ex 2022 ex chateau release. With bbq. Opened clean. A little decanting in the bottle, poured after 20 mins or so.
Deep garnet color. Fine sediment even in the first glass.
Nose of strong blueberry and wet earthy smell.
Taste - dry, raspberry, pomegranate, tobacco, little green, tangy. Oak well integrated. Keeps you coming back. (2002 views) | | | Tasted by BVal on 5/4/2023 & rated 91 points: Color/App: slightly translucent, dark ruby core -> moderately dense, slightly garnet rim (less bricking than expected). Agree with others here that this needed about an hour decant to show it's best. Bouquet of cedar and tobacco, leather, earth and blackberries. Distinctly austere palate (but mostly in that good Bordeaux way) showing off black fruit, a little barnyard (less than most 80's Cordier wines), graphite and some earth. Finish is still more tannic than one would hope given the age but fine with food (tonight rack of lamb). All in all, a good Gruaud that shows the weakness of the vintage. Drink now -- as I don't think it will get any better -- and over the next decade.... (91-92) (2270 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 4/18/2023: Mixed review: I was expecting a continuance of the Cordier Gruade Lasrose tradition in this wine from a semi-strong left bank vintage in 1995. What did I get tonight? A “tweener”. Said another way, it was slightly corked. How do I know? The funk on the nose strengthened with time in the glass with air vs blew off in the decanter. That said, have you ever had a corked wine that still tasted delicious on the backend with a solid fruit vein running through it? Perplexing to say the least. Nevertheless, Gruaud always brings the funky brett which I love. But it can challenge a discerning TCA palate. (2562 views) | | | Tasted by lim.calvinb on 3/29/2023 & rated 94 points: Pop and poured at Ying Jee Club in HK. Developed and opened up over 1-1.5 hours, but I think the wine was pretty much finished then. (1979 views) | | | Tasted by Rani on 3/28/2023 & rated 91 points: Taste blind. Took time to open up, but very St. Julien. Cedar, leather, red and black currant. A bit austere on the palate, telltale sign of the vintage. Very good but not great. I’d recommend a one hour decant at this stage. (1711 views) | | | Tasted by BellevuePhil on 3/11/2023 & rated 93 points: In the realm of extraordinary wines, the 1995 Château Gruaud Larose stands tall as a timeless masterpiece, a symphony of flavors and aromas that captivate the senses. This majestic creation hails from the prestigious Saint-Julien appellation in Bordeaux, France, and embodies the epitome of excellence that oenophiles tirelessly seek.
As the cork is carefully extracted, a velvety curtain of crimson pours into the glass, heralding the wine's richness and depth. The aromas immediately envelop the air, a seductive dance of dark berries, black currants, and plums that intertwine with fragrant notes of tobacco, leather, and cedar. Each inhale reveals new dimensions, as if opening a treasure trove of olfactory delights.
On the palate, this enchanting elixir unfolds with the grace of a grand symphony. Velvety tannins caress the tongue, intermingling with layers of ripe fruit. Blackberries and cherries, intertwined with hints of cassis and anise, create a harmonious chorus that dances across the taste buds. Undertones of vanilla, dark chocolate, and a touch of earthiness add complexity, like a crescendo building to its peak.
The 1995 Château Gruaud Larose boasts a texture that is both opulent and refined, gliding effortlessly across the palate. The wine's structure is impeccable, with a perfect balance between acidity and fruit intensity. This harmonious equilibrium ensures a lingering finish, as the flavors gracefully linger, leaving an indelible impression that lingers on the mind long after the last drop has vanished.
Age has bestowed upon this wine a remarkable depth and complexity, revealing its true potential. The 1995 Château Gruaud Larose is an opulent symphony, an epic tale that showcases the pinnacle of winemaking craftsmanship. It is a wine that deserves to be savored on momentous occasions, a testament to the magnificence that can be achieved when nature, skill, and time converge in a bottle.
MY ADVICE! Decant at least 1.4 hrs., a must....then glass by glass let it open and when it does imagine me on my 65 Indian on the open road and believe me the tannins were still present, slight wet moss, touch of blackberry and believe me has punch you would expect for a 95! (1859 views) | | | Tasted by A&C on 1/11/2023 & rated 94 points: This was a great bottle. Enjoyed with Patrick, Ryan, Todd, Chris, Christian and Sheryl with an epic meal cooked by Patrick. Fantastic food and a memorable wine in the dark of Winter. Cheers!! (1938 views) | | | Tasted by trumpet60201 on 12/9/2022 & rated 94 points: This was a beautiful mature wine. The nose has lovely tobacco and high quality oak spice. The palate is delicious with some fine tannins remaining. A very balanced, elegant wine. Drinking beautifully now, but should hold here for many more years. (2069 views) | | | Tasted by levkb on 11/24/2022 & rated 90 points: Enjoyed at Bresca DC for thanksgiving. Lightly decanted for ~1 hour. Bottle still shows some fruit but considerably muted and beginning to show leather / tobacco flavors. Overall, very enjoyable with nearly 100% resolved tannins and silky finish. Was enjoyable with duck given.
Drink in the near-term as I don’t anticipate this bottle getting better with additional aging. (2024 views) | | | Tasted by A&C on 10/28/2022 & rated 94 points: This was lovely. Really. Perfect time to drink. Great fruit. Lovely finish. A very nice wine. (2253 views) | | | Tasted by moderninwa on 9/6/2022 & rated 85 points: Color ripe for drinking
Nose subtle and friendly
Taste initial power but wanes quickly (2541 views) | | | Tasted by Rezy13 on 8/5/2022: Friday Double Blind Tasting $60+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Chocolate core with larger brick rim; tobacco, singed herbs, bell pepper, graphite, lots of funk, slight chocolate, cigar box, resolving; in a good spot but this bottle was a recent release and needs more time; really good. (2037 views) | | | Tasted by DoubleMagnum on 6/18/2022 & rated 94 points: From magnum. Stood up for a few hours before popping. Deep garnet in color, no bricking. Nose is of black fruit, especially cassis along with cigar box, ashtray and hints of sweet spice. It smells younger than I'd expect. On the palate, it is dry, with medium acidity, great density and extraction, rounded tannins, silky texture and long finish. You can taste the pedigree in this lovely bottle. A+ (2581 views) | | | Tasted by edjBoca on 5/26/2022 & rated 92 points: Drinks well 90-120 minutes after opening...decanted. Deep currant and medium to full body...medium finish.... (2485 views) | | | Tasted by shutto1992@gmail.com on 1/9/2022 & rated 96 points: Took 2 hours to open. Absolutely wonderful wine. Aging extremely well. (3745 views) | | | Tasted by windtalker on 1/2/2022 & rated 93 points: Opened 4 hours, decanted 1.5 hrs.
No rush on this one. A really nice classic claret. Nose is somewhat two-noted, pyrazine and black fruit, but the palate is both intense and complex, with the blackcurrant, slight tart blackberry, leafy notes following through, and adding leather, graphite, cedar spice, and drying earth. The structure is still impressive with medium+ acidity, and tannins which are not yet resolved, but ripe enough and fine-grained. The finish was really lengthy but mainly on acidity and leafiness. (3230 views) | | | Tasted by SeattlePaul on 10/30/2021 & rated 91 points: In good shape, but a little bit muted on both acid and fruit. It drank well, but was maybe a little bit over ideal conditions. Will try to others fairly soon. (3712 views) | | | Tasted by edjBoca on 9/5/2021 & rated 93 points: Another fresher version of this....will last. I likely got a few poorly stored bottles that were MUCH more evolved..... (3638 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/17/2011)
(Ch Gruaud Larose St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/25/2005)
(Ch Gruaud Larose St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Kapon
Vintage Tastings, weekly update - An Evening with Jean-Louis Chave and more (12/6/2004)
(Gruaud-Larose) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, July 2003
(Chateau Gruaud-Larose St Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1998, IWC Issue #78
(Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, 1995 and 1994 Bordeaux (May 1996) (5/1/1996)
(Gruaud-larose Gruaud-larose) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (4/22/2007)
(Château Gruaud Larose) Deeper, tart cherry nose; very tasty, tart cherry, leather palate with plush, sweet tannins; medium finish 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vintage Tastings and Winedoctor and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Gruaud Larose Producer website
Read more about Château Gruaud Larose -https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/gruaud-larose/
A visit to Château Gruaud Larose Beychelle-St-Julien estate, winery and vineyards -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-visit-to-chateau-gruaud-larose.html Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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