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 Vintage1979 Label 2 of 571 
TypeRed
ProducerChâteau Gruaud Larose (web)
VarietyRed Bordeaux Blend
Designationn/a
Vineyardn/a
CountryFrance
RegionBordeaux
SubRegionMédoc
AppellationSt. Julien
UPC Code(s)087000336810

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 1990 and 2008 (based on 15 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Gruaud Larose on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 49 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by ssekdad on 11/24/2023 flawed bottle: long gone. wasn't stored well, cork was almost completely soaked through, had lost almost all color, looked like a light rose. barely drinkable but not pleasant (347 views)
 Tasted by GrapeScott on 8/20/2022 & rated 89 points: This was not quite as good as a '79 Kirwan I had a few days ago, but is nonetheless a good example of what great BDX can achieve in mediocre vintages. The nose was the high point, brimming with cedar, cassis, with dusty underbrush notes. The medium-bodied palate is a bit thin, but not tired, and the color remains a vibrant purple with little bricking. This particular bottle had a pristine low neck fill and a flawless cork, so likely on the upper end of what this can achieve with good storage. (1427 views)
 Tasted by Jd6725 on 5/26/2022 & rated 92 points: Nose 93-94. Taste 91. Maybe a bit of VA. A bit thin on the palate but still clearly a well stored and made wine. Different than the bottle I had a few wines prior that was one of the wotn at a 79 horizontal. This one had almost none of the Cordier funk, not much fruit left. But just a fantastic nose that kept me drinking the wine. (1495 views)
 Tasted by Collector1855 on 1/29/2022 & rated 93 points: Tasted blind. Beautiful tertiary nose with farmyard, wet forest floor and spices. There is good fruit and melted tannins here. Lovely. (2611 views)
 Tasted by GrapeScott on 10/17/2021 & rated 90 points: Top shoulder fill, beautiful ruby-garnet color with no sign of bricking. Lovely savory nose of tobacco, shoe leather, forest floor, black plum and a bit of cedar spice. Tart and slightly vegetal, with good intensity and pleasant fruit. Drinking very well for this overlooked vintage. (2290 views)
 Tasted by vinko84 on 8/4/2021 & rated 92 points: There are not that many 1970"s Clarets that excite me but this has truly surprised me. Beautiful medium body with a long finish. (2182 views)
 Tasted by rjmp96 on 1/5/2021: Wow this is insanely fresh for over 40. A little funky of course but still very fragrant with a nice nose of cedar box, cigar ash, dried black currant, mint and peppercorn. Still flesh on its bones, with a firm fruit core, sweet tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. It finishes tart and a bit delicate, with a wonderful graphite inflected finish. I’m so impressed by the longevity of this. It actually gained some weight with air, the mid palate becoming almost rich with a chewy plum aspect. This is so good. (2127 views)
 Tasted by Nicephoras on 11/9/2020: Birthday wines. 70s and 80s Gruaud can have a fair amount of variance, but this was great - still in it's prime with a lot of fruit (for a 41 year old wine, of course), but also a lot of cedar, cassis and tertiary notes. There's a touch more green than I sometimes get from Gruaud, but this is obviously cabernet, this is not a surprise. Overall, a really good bottle of claret without being great. (2236 views)
 Tasted by marathonwines on 5/16/2020: Rated neutral by several. Strong musky scent, pleasant overall flavor (2171 views)
 Tasted by Nicephoras on 1/6/2020: Oh, there we go. No question this is left bank Bordeaux, but even having risked a 3 hour decant, the nose still explodes from the glass. Definitely a bit of green (Cordier?) funk but also a ton of cedar, cigar box and graphite - this is Bordeaux in its prime and with resolves tannins. The palate is still burly and this didn’t fade at all. This lacks complexity to be truly great, but it’s just a wonderful bottle in an otherwise often mediocre vintage. Served double blind to everyone else, and most guesses were mid to late 80s. (2315 views)
 Tasted by Aravind Asok on 8/21/2019: The most rustic of the three BDX we opened. More vegetal notes, but still lovely dried fruit, charcoal and leather. More tannic and slightly more disjointed acid profile. Nevertheless, still a lovely btl. (2286 views)
 Tasted by j45 on 7/2/2019: Funkalicious! (2088 views)
 Tasted by europat55 on 3/31/2017 & rated 91 points: 5 Decades of Gruaud Larose (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A-/A. Palate: A-/A
My #7. Group's #2 (76 pts).
Correctly guessed as the '79 in the lineup.
Tasted blind. (5007 views)
 Tasted by tiggerevnstn on 12/25/2016 & rated 91 points: Beautiful showing from a magnum bottle. Saved a half bottle to share later in the week at a mixed tasting. (4225 views)
 Tasted by Burgundy Al on 9/15/2016 & rated 91 points: Gruaud Larose Tasting and Dinner (Northbrook, IL): Pristine bottle, fill well into the neck. Mature black cherry and plum with earth, green pepper and cigarbox hints. Moderate depth and length. Impeccable balance. Wonderful for the vintage. (5045 views)
 Tasted by Nanda on 9/15/2016 & rated 90 points: Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): Medium nose still shows some youthful plum fruit, bell pepper and cigar. Palate starts with medium body and fruit that flashes sweet intensity. Herbs, ash, cigar and old leather. Fades on the finish. An overachiever. (5070 views)
 Tasted by Vinnut on 8/6/2016 & rated 91 points: Deep, dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, floral notes of violets, musty/dusty, minty, pepper, earthy/loam, leather, herbs, spices, smoky, meaty, mushrooms, minerals & sous bois in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cranberries with earthy/dusty, herbs, mushrooms, minerals, spices & a hint of oak. Lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present and appears to be at or very close to its peak of development, so drink up soon. A distinctive & mature Claret. (4328 views)
 Tasted by joost on 11/10/2015 & rated 92 points: from DM took 2 hours to open up and for the tannins to soften, beautiful classic claret (3434 views)
 Tasted by kenv on 10/31/2014: [From a half bottle.] Quite mature. Mulchy black fruit nose. Going over the hill. Nice up front, but too much oxidation in the finish. Drink up. (4573 views)
 Tasted by petitblanc on 9/26/2014 & rated 90 points: Old Wine Offline; 9/26/2014-9/27/2014 (The Room Off the Patio at Ruth's Chris, and My House): This was the thinnest of several Gruaud Larose tasted tonight, with ample tannins remaining, and a bit of heat. The underlying Gruaud Larose profile was clear, though, with sweet tobacco and peppers over fading dark fruits. Overall quite good. (4857 views)
 Tasted by europat55 on 6/14/2014 & rated 92 points: Fabulous Nose, as you would expect from a mature GL (A). Excellent palate, although a little bit tired (B+/B++). (4581 views)
 Tasted by ASD on 4/25/2014 & rated 91 points: Double Magnum, 35th birthday of a friend (a wine lover). Great Bordeaux from a very difficult year. The top years are passed, but still in good years for consumption. A mature wine with nice earthy caracters and still some fruits (berrys) (4729 views)
 Tasted by Burgundy Al on 1/11/2014 & rated 91 points: Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Served double blind to the tasting group alongside Groth 1990 Cabernet Reserve from Napa. Mature black cherry aromas and flavors with modest spice. Very good balance, textures. Easy for most tasters to identify as Bordeaux, but most thought from a younger, better vintage. (4774 views)
 Tasted by NineteenEightyTwo on 11/15/2013 & rated 92 points: From double magnum. Nose entirely dominated by a woodsy funk at first. Decanted and allowed to breathe, this opened up very quickly. Textbook "dirty" and "dark" mature Bordeaux aromas: cedar, leather, tobacco, sous bois, grandma's cupboard, barnyard, etc. The fruit was a little tired, but not terribly so. The finish showed a surprising and pleasant little tingle of tannin. After having had a noticably over-the-hill 1978 a few years ago, I feared this might suffer from being similarly superannuated. While this is very slightly over its peak, it still drinks respectably well, perhaps due to the salutary effects of the bottle size. Consume soon- tonight, if possible. (3503 views)
 Tasted by Burgundy Al on 10/1/2013 & rated 90 points: Fill level was well into the neck. Popped and poured, then consumed over two nights. Tobacco aromas with modest black fruit and earth hints. Good balance of flavors between black cherry and earthy character, lots of charm, even if just modest intensity. Surprisingly this was basically the same on the 2nd night, perhaps just a little shorter. (4058 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, July 2003
(Chateau Gruaud-Larose St Julien) Subscribe to see review text.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Winedoctor. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

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 Blend

Red 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.com

Bordeaux

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 Rimmerman

Médoc

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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