1996 Château Gruaud Larose |
| Vintage | 1996 |  | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Château Gruaud Larose (web) | ||
| Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Bordeaux | ||
| SubRegion | Médoc | ||
| Appellation | St. Julien | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 071570013721, 087000313804, 087000336810, 087000346178, 3251099803257, 3460270006480, 400005288517, 5010867400702, 639737979176, 649944980643 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2006 and 2020 (based on 58 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Gruaud Larose on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 92 pts. in 232 notes) | |
| Tasted by ShakenNotStirred on 4/4/2024 & rated 94 points: Wonderful wine. Big and well balanced with lots of fruit, cherry, vanilla. I did not decant it, instead kept the bottle open to let it evolve further slowly during the course of the evening, which it did beautifully. Excellent until the last sip. (257 views) | |
| Tasted by The Wine Monkeys on 4/2/2024 flawed bottle: Corked (466 views) | |
| Tasted by alamoave on 3/31/2024 & rated 92 points: From magnum. Decanted for an hour. Delicious. Drink now. (431 views) | |
| Tasted by Mleh on 3/4/2024 & rated 88 points: I opened this about an hour before dinner and then let it evolve in the glass during dinner. Aroma was very funky, almost all barnyard/manure. Hint of cherry, vanilla and tobacco but really dominated by barnyard. The palate however was actually quite pleasant. The barnyard was still there but it was very smooth, still decent acidity and tannins almost completely resolved but enough left to give some structure. The flavor profile wasn’t great on its own, but with braised short ribs and mashed potatoes it was actually quite nice. The barnyard was more in the background, there was definitely a little fruit left along with tobacco. With the food there was also a nice sweetness mid palate. I would say this must be right at the end of its life but if you like old wine with mostly tertiary flavors it’s still enjoyable. (626 views) | |
| Tasted by Ppavlicek on 1/31/2024 & rated 93 points: Lots of green grassy notes on the nose followed by purple fruits. Still has some life left. (1013 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 11/12/2023 & rated 94 points: So beautiful for the Bordeaux lover. Thick and chewy, I dont think that I would have ever guessed this as a 1996. So beautifully evolved, this bottle was wasted on the senseless, and my last pour (containing my tear) was the best by far. If blind, 1990 Montrose. But too chewy and brawny, so hmmmm....? Barnyard, chocolate, burned earth, gobs and gobs of fruit and the elegance that cedar brings with time. Super long and rich... Yes, that good. * A note to the "wine experts"...Just because you are French, it doesn't mean you know French wine. And another thing, stop looking for legs and shit, and if you see tears, they are probably mine from sharing this bottle with you. No, Im not upset...But you need to stop pretending. (1672 views) | |
| Tasted by bflood16 on 10/30/2023 & rated 90 points: Garnet with a little brick. Velvet smooth with softened tannins and waning but still pleasant dark fruit. Medium finish. Very enjoyable but will drink my other one soon as this is at or nearing its end. (1232 views) | |
| Tasted by RichD2 on 10/10/2023 & rated 92 points: This may be on downslope but some air mellows the tannins allowing the red fruit with some slight sherry character to emerge (1360 views) | |
| Tasted by rossi.wine on 10/9/2023 & rated 90 points: Tasted next to 1996 Pontet Canet. Very expressive and open on the nose and palate. Not overly complex, a little flabby and tired perhaps. 89-91 (1351 views) | |
| Tasted by Patrick_from_champagne on 9/25/2023 & rated 93 points: Excellent, tout y est, élégance, racé, complexité, longueur, (1185 views) | |
| Tasted by Vini Ciclismo on 8/9/2023 & rated 91 points: Dark to medium with a light rim, no brick. Ripe dark fruit, with cedar and chocolate. Clean pure flavours, cassis, raspberry, oak spice, cedar, licorice. Light on the palate, delicate, not overly intense. Good acidity and fine furry tannins, fruit probably not quite up to the structure. Past its best but still a very pleasant experience. (1277 views) | |
| Tasted by anstruletz on 5/1/2023: This was spectacular. Vibrant and pure - barely showing its age but everything seemed seamlessly integrated. Developed over 2 hours with red fruit and hints of leather and pencil lead (but more emphasis on the fruit than the earthy notes). (1776 views) | |
| Tasted by The Wine Monkeys on 3/31/2023 & rated 93 points: Beautiful dark berry notes, tar, eucalyptus, graphite, leather. Palete of black pepper, black currant, graphite, cresote. Tannis we’re somewhat angular to start but mellowed nicely after a decant and over the hour. Lovely balanced and integrated wine. Feels like peak season to us. Cheers! (1833 views) | |
| Tasted by pccasey on 3/4/2023 & rated 92 points: Beautiful smokey wine.. missing a little fruit bur seductive. (1870 views) | |
| Tasted by Juliansi on 3/3/2023 & rated 90 points: I was very excited to try this Gruaud Larose, as each vintage I have tried has superseded the previous one, initially the rather average 2014 and the more characterful 2011 last year. I had high hopes for this... 1996 Bordeaux wines are held in very high regard, and is known to be a high quality vintage for Cab Sauv dominant wines. Many wines from the left bank, especially Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estephe region showed their best, as they are ripe, powerful and rich with finesse too. This opened after 30 minutes of bottle breathing, and kept improving over the 1-2 hour mark, initially with barnyard then lovely tobacco and earth aromas too. Medium to full bodied with a rather lean and rustic character, with moderately resolved tannins. 20-30 second medium length finish with cassis and sweet tobacco too. What was the 1996 vintage like and why were there so many amazing left bank wines in Bordeaux? The weather was warm from March till April. Then came May which was relatively cool. And good fine weather prevailed in June, July and most of August too. The large rainstorm of end-August had rain mainly fall in the Right Bank and Margaux was somewhat affected too. Fortunately for the north Medoc, almost no rain took fell in Pauillac, Saint Julien or in Saint Estephe. Conditions were sunny, with warm to hot days, and wonderful cool to cold nights. September 1996's weather saved the day due to the strong winds which helped dry the vineyards. Château Gruaud-Larose is located in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, and was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original 1855 Bordeaux Wine Classification. It only dates back to 1725 and the knight Joseph Stanislas Gruaud. Back then it was called Fond-Bedeau, and was administered by two Gruauds; one a priest and the other a magistrate! The magistrate, the Chevalier du Gruaud, died in 1778 and his part of the property was deeded to Joseph Sebastian de La Rose, who renamed this property Gruaud-La Rose or Gruaud-Larose. The property remained intact until 1867 when it was split into Château Gruaud-Larose-Sarget (after the Baron Sarget) and Château Gruaud-Larose-Faure. These 2 chateaus were then reunited by the Cordier family, who purchased the Sarget piece in 1917 and the Faure piece in 1935. In 1983 it was purchased by the Compagnie de Suez, and in 1993 by Alcatel-Alsthom. Then, in 1997 Taillan Group and Jacques Merlaut took over the property. The vineyards cover a large 82 hectares (200 acres), and are planted with 57% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and interestingly 2% Malbec. Grateful for bro KK who surprised us with this epic vintage as the last bottle of the evening. 6th and final bottle of 6, at Don Julio in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Enjoyed this with RL, CL, LYL, DJ and WH too. Don Julio Near Verve Suites, M Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 3rd Mar 2023 (1880 views) | |
| Tasted by BoxerBee on 12/23/2022 & rated 94 points: Reductive. Dairy, blackberry, tobacco, ground pepper, licorice, grafite. Full, with sweet fruit and dry tannins. Oldschool and perfect with roast meat. Fine. Drink now - 2030. (2268 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 12/20/2022 & rated 92 points: It has been A good 7 years since we had this last ( Papies 93) and this looked and felt on the young side. We decanted for a good 30 mins which definitely helps but one should probably try a bit longer if possible. Still bright red on the color with some bricking on the rim but overall glossy and bright and looked very youthful. The nose is very classic and excellent as always and the reason we rated this a touch lower this time was that the palate felt a touch tight and closed and maybe this (!!) needs a few more years vs others of its kin to fully hit its stride. Still really impressive and great like so many gems from 1996 . 92-93 (1823 views) | |
| Tasted by Neecies on 6/15/2022: Cork came out in six pieces but dry, and the wine was sound though, possibly, a tad lighter due to cork condition. Decanted 90 minutes. Typical St. Julien with plummy fruit and cigar box notes, velvet texture and good finish. Came alive with roast beef. (2721 views) | |
| Tasted by oldwines on 2/5/2022 & rated 91 points: Decanted at 4:30pm and tasted over the next 4-5 hours. Right from the start this was full of Bordeaux Funk that didn’t really subside until about the 3 hour mark. Color is opaque garnet with just a hint of brick. Otherwise the nose and palate showed red florals/violets, bacon, cedar, tobacco and chocolate. Smooth and velvety, yet bright. Mid-palate is a little lean and lacking in fruit though. Finish is a little short but emphasizes the secondary and tertiary notes especially chocolate. Very good but not great. (3198 views) | |
| Tasted by NBouras915 on 11/6/2021 & rated 91 points: Old school left bank Bordeaux. Structure but the fruit is a bit lacking. So many better 1996 left bank wines (3129 views) | |
| Tasted by S1 on 11/5/2021: Chas Offlineorama VI, Another embarrassment of riches; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Various locations): Tar, blackberry, green herbs, a little Brett. Still very fresh and enjoyable but without the power and length of the other wines on the table. (3009 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 11/5/2021: Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Also quite fresh and enjoyable. Peppery. Lovely level of vibrancy in this wine. Drinking well. (3054 views) | |
| Tasted by Richard Nabavi on 7/31/2021 & rated 92 points: Deep colour. Superb nose. On the palate, slightly hot with intense peppermint overtones. Long but tannic finish. Not ready yet. Is there enough fruit, though? Tasted at the Winos’ Gruaud-Larose dinner, vintages 2002, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1990, 1986, 1982, 1975, 1973, 1967, 1961 (see reviews for the other vintages) (2920 views) | |
| Tasted by Diane (LI) on 5/24/2021: Needed air to clear up some mustiness. Black cherry, pencil shavings, cedar, long finish. Nicely mature Gruaud Larose. (2561 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 4/16/2021 & rated 93 points: Such a beautiful nose so expressive of left bank Bordeaux with notes of graphite minerals and grilled nuts. Lean and chiseled in the style of the vintage and beautifully balanced and lifted. Delicious flavors of smoky black fruits, graphite and wintergreen. Finishes silky and layered with complex notes of black spices, leathers and dill. This is such a distinctive terroir which is still made in a traditional style. (2432 views) | |
| Tasted by Livonietisr on 3/28/2021 & rated 93 points: 64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot; IPT 74; 13% alcohol. Perfect cork. Deep ruby. Need decanting for 2 hours. Intense and beautiful nose of cassis, cedar, cigars, earth. Big structure. Taste of dark fruit, dark chocolate, tobacco. Plenty of life. Long. At peak. (2328 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 3/13/2021 & rated 93 points: Deep ruby. Pencil shavings, a smidge of tobacco and dense blackcurrant leaf. Nicely clean. Depth within a classical frame. Quite firm currently, lots of interest and potential. **** (2509 views) | |
| Tasted by Rupert on 12/3/2020 & rated 93 points: Firm, classic claret, some cedar, still a bit tight, but ripe and very fine, especially for a Gruaud, just entering its peak of maturity, I'd say. (2722 views) | |
| Tasted by ireneng5 on 9/1/2020 & rated 93 points: Smooth and delicious (2934 views) | |
| Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 6/19/2020 & rated 92 points: Double decanted two hours before drinking. Initially quite lean and reticent. It begins to open up revealing classical secondary aromas of cigar box, tobacco, earth and cedar, segued with a pleasing stony minerality. The red berry fruit is there, but very much in the background playing a supporting role, while there is is an underlying strictness to this wine. It marries beautifully with lamb rack and later with Comte cheese. I get the sense that this wine has been fashioned to achieve elegance and finesse and succeeds, but it does not excite in the same way as great bottles of 1982, 1985 and 1986 Gruaud Larose. It feels somewhat compromised and conflicted in comparison to those statuesque Gruauds from the mid-80s but notwithstanding that high bar an excellent and classical claret nonetheless. 12.5% ABV. (3273 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 6/13/2020 & rated 95 points: Bordeaux at it best, perfectly matured and so pleasant to drink. Balanced and in a perfect place now. (2998 views) | |
| Tasted by _water.into.wine_ on 4/17/2020: Very secondary to tertiary. Quite green and herbaceous. (3625 views) | |
| Tasted by edjBoca on 2/23/2020 & rated 93 points: I did not decant this as much as previous bottles, since they got tertiary and less interesting over hours. This bottle was MUCH fresher and the fruit remained complex and long for hours....93 (2985 views) | |
| Tasted by Rupert on 2/13/2020 & rated 93 points: Classic ripe claret - blackcurrant, cedar, spices - clean for a Gruaud - superb (2594 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 9/27/2019 & rated 93 points: This is perfectly mature now and utterly seamless with great purity and finesse. Classic flavors of graphite minerals and aged dark fruits in a medium-bodied and beautiful package. The finish just floats over the tongue with complex notes of earth, tobacco and dark spice. Out of magnum at Crown Shy. (3196 views) | |
| Tasted by chablis28 on 9/20/2019 & rated 93 points: Enjoyed in Rapid City along our 1100 mile, spiritually cleansing, road trip to Grand Teton National Park. Hard to beat a drive: crossing the gorgeous vast Missouri river at Chamberlain SD, skirting the SD Badlands and the Black Hills, through the Ten Sleep & Wind River Canyons! Then crossing over 9,655 ft Togwotee Pass and seeing the Teton range. Never get tired of that! Back to the BDX.... A very docile yet fresh btl with classic St Julien placidity with the nose slightly ahead of the palate in fireworks. PnP and slowed oxed in hotel room for an hour. Then back into btl for restaurant. Immediately elegant with crazy good nose of cigar ash, sous bois and dried fruit. The palate started out with the prettiest elegant red fruit, pencil, cedar and spice but, all to soon, evolved more savory. I preferred the palate more in its first 45 minutes then later. The nose remained fantastic. I'll likely buy more of these given a chance with the idea of drinking them up in the next 3-5 years. I really like this producer for back vintages, period! (3465 views) | |
| Tasted by JM_MadTown on 9/5/2019 & rated 93 points: Purchased from the Chateau and opened shortly thereafter. (375ml bottle). This wine is stunning. Lovely red fruit, some lead pencil, forest floor and mellow tannins. (2701 views) | |
| Tasted by ZaphodB on 7/23/2019 & rated 93 points: Brick red. Initially, the nose feels a little cooked and jammy, with notes of black currants and leather. In mouth, the fruit is beautiful, still very fresh, full bodied. It's really at it's prime! (2675 views) | |
| Tasted by pavel_p on 7/10/2019 & rated 90 points: Have had a few bottles of the 96 Gruaud Larose over the last 18 months, unfortunately this most recent one with just a touch of TCA. All bottles otherwise in excellent condition with in neck fills and only very tip of cork soiled/soaked. Pnp today. Still a fairly dark garnet with a thin translucent rim. Forest floor on the nose, a touch of barnyard, some dark fruit. Medium bodied, still with good fruit, however not a whole lot of depth or concentration. Tertiary notes at least from these bottles not yet emerging. Short finish. A solid and easy drinking left banker with good balance, however far away in terms of quality from the 2000, and for a Second Growth from 96 of course just slightly disappointing. No hurry but will not improve, can drink now with no decant needed (3065 views) | |
| Tasted by edjBoca on 7/3/2019 & rated 92 points: Ready with a short decant and filter. Beautiful nose medium to full palate of red and dark fruit, that transitions to more tertiary elements ..... (2050 views) | |
| Tasted by Neecies on 3/17/2019 & rated 93 points: Initially flat and characterless but a mere hour of decanting brought everything to life. Lively black and red fruits, graphite, raw cigar tobacco, a touch of Constant Comment and enough weight to question whether it's St. J or Paulliac. This bottle suggests plenty of life ahead for my remaining two bottles. (2903 views) | |
| Tasted by retired_and_roving on 11/4/2018: Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 11 of 19 wines tasted double blind. Apologies for two notes on the same wine - but there were two of the same bottles in the line up. This bottle was clearly more advanced than the same wine in bottle #6. I would not have called these as the same. The fruit was more faded here with the leather and dry leaves taking center stage - ended with some drying tannins on the finish. Group Vote - 4 pennies. (3873 views) | |
| Tasted by retired_and_roving on 11/4/2018: Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 7 of 19 wines tasted double blind. The fruits on this leaned to red plum and red currant - it was very soft and velvety in mouth texture. The tannins here were practically non-existent. I think it would have benefitted from some more acidity or tannin to give it some more backbone. I don't think that this has the structure for long aging - drink up within next five years. Group vote- 1 penny (3499 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 11/4/2018: Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine # 11: Yes - we had this wine twice. I'm writing two different notes because the bottles were different (the group seeming to prefer this one a bit more). This was much more fruity. Tastes very young and early in the drinking window. Needs more time. Still good. (4 pennies). (3488 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 11/4/2018: Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine #7: On the heels of the '85 from the same producer and this wasn't really in that league although still enjoyable. Funny because this wine felt like it was a bit older than that. I got the feeling that everything was right in balance here and it's not likely to be getting much better. Lots of spice with some fruit and overall a well done wine even if not quite as vibrant as the one before. (1 penny) (3405 views) | |
| Tasted by Harley1199 on 9/23/2018: Bottle opened 24 hours before consumption. Looking for the ancestral fineness of this Château I almost left my olfactory glands. I only found some slight notes of caramelized orange. On the palate is reserved, content, off. It is not strong, is almost dead. Too much for this wine to breathe a whole day? Right now it could be both a Saint Julien and a diluted rosé wine from Cigales. There is neither personality nor a true character. Tons of sediments. Drinkable wine, understanding this CT window but I am feeling totally disappointed. Botella abierta un día antes de su consumo. Buscando la ancestral finura de este Château casi me dejo las células olfativas. Sólo encontré unas leves notas de naranja caramelizada. Al paladar se muestra reservado, contenido, apagado. No es una botella fuerte del 96, está como muerto. ¿Es demasiado para este vino respirar un día entero? Ahora mismo podría ser tanto un Saint Julien como un vino rosado de Cigales diluido. No hay ni personalidad ni un verdadero carácter. Toneladas de sedimentos. Totalmente desilusionado. (3103 views) | |
| Tasted by Rupert on 8/25/2018 & rated 92 points: Meaty, some spice and cedar - delicious rich savoury claret (2506 views) | |
| Tasted by SeattlePaul on 8/15/2018: Tasted from 375 opened and recorked about 30 hrs. Minerality, truffle, not nearly as fruity as the 2000 tasted next to it. Earthy, mushroomy. Slight barnyard that appeared on first tasting is blown off. (2506 views) | |
| Tasted by Moonie on 7/20/2018 & rated 91 points: From a magnum. Decanted eight hours. Showed the typical G-L barnyard funk and saddle sweat. Very earthy. Exceptional, no, but a very enjoyable bottle. (2736 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 7/16/2018: From a half bottle bought at Sothebys. A little treat post wine tasting to share at home. This was quite nice. It's aged bordeaux which is something I'm liking more and more with time. Fruit mostly faded, but the tobacco and library notes are good. Perhaps a touch musty when cork first popped, but it seemed to open nicely in the glass. Has hit the tertiary stage and don't think it's getting better from a half, but not sure it's going anywhere that fast either. Suspect CT window a bit short. (2900 views) | |
| Tasted by seijaro on 6/25/2018 & rated 91 points: Brought up another bottle and looked it up on Parker to refresh my memory... pretty interesting that it has been reviewed six times since release. Obvious it had a ten year best drinking period, is now declining. We found the same, pleasant but only 91. 1997 = 88-90 1998 = 90-93 1999 = 91 2000 = 94 2011 = 93 2016 = 91 (2709 views) | |
| Tasted by jeffreylubowski on 6/11/2018 & rated 92 points: 3rd place of 4 wines, however the top two were otherworldly. This was classic GL starting to enter mid age. Forest floor, earth, red fruit, saddle leather. 63 CS 25 M 9 CF 3 PV. What a lovely blend, as always. I just love this chateau. Can't ask for much more. (2936 views) | |
| Tasted by Collector1855 on 2/4/2018 & rated 93 points: Lovely tertiary aromas of horse saddle, earth. Tannins softened, acidity still alive. Very nice but would need a bit more fruit stuffing for a score in the mid 90ies. (3922 views) | |
| Tasted by laralh on 1/20/2018 & rated 89 points: Solbær, pepper, kirsebær, litt paprika og blyant. Balansert og lang. (2853 views) | |
| Tasted by Tudz Drkl on 12/30/2017: Beautiful wine drinking very well. Nose was red fruits and prune with lots of herb and earth. The palate was crisp and dusty with plenty of fresh fruit left. (2918 views) | |
| Tasted by RockinCabs on 12/3/2017 & rated 93 points: Nose: Gorgeous notes of plum, blackberry, cigar, tobacco, earth and manure. Nicely perfumed grew in expression over about 2 hours. Palate: Dense and dark on entry with some black fruit, tobacco and game notes. Very nice sous bois and mineral/graphite notes as well. Finish: Penetrating and dark fruited with notes of smoked charcuterie. This was a classic Gruaud Larose. Built on a sturdy tannic frame and filled with black fruit and funky, earthy notes. This has years to run. (3426 views) | |
| Tasted by Cliff Booth on 11/24/2017 & rated 90 points: 2-hour decant; magnum; Thanksgiving, opens with wet leather, sous bois, barnyard nose; med-plus body, plush mouthfeel and great balance. Modest plum and boysenberry fruit, more leather and subtle cocoa note. Agree with others this wine is significantly better with food - brings more fruit and a caramelized note to the forefront. (3249 views) | |
| Tasted by InVinjeVeritas on 10/21/2017 & rated 88 points: Plumlike bordeaux with typical smell of paprika. Quite ordinary (3077 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 10/20/2017 & rated 93 points: Horsetrail, antique books, and warm cocoa...We are not hitting coffee tones yet, but you can bet your ass they are coming! Wowza of a nose on this...Just incredible. A nose of 96 with a lean palate of 91...What a fun wine to drink! Very dry in sugar, with warm chocolate, dusty flower petals and lots of tannins. Slightly sour and very lean in fruit..Blind, I would have said 1995...Drink or Hold (3536 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 10/17/2017 & rated 94 points: Served out of magnum at IB&WS dinner and paired with antelope sirloin. This is really singing now with lots of crunchy acidity perfectly balanced by silky dark fruits. Very fresh with good intensity and classic GL flavors of gravel, tobacco and graphite. Finishes with excellent energy and complexity. This will last but it's opened like a flower now so why wait? (3062 views) | |
| Tasted by rcvx on 8/8/2017 & rated 91 points: my gf's notes on this: "cherry red with orange reflexes, aromas of prunes, chili, leather, tobacco, ash, mineral/dirt/barnyard straw, blackberry, muskiness, violet/musk rose. Dry and acidic, finishes light on the tongue." Cork with no leakage. As others have said, this is elegant and pleasant, although not outstanding. Drink or hold. (3367 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 6/19/2017 & rated 93 points: Really a beautiful nose with wine. Has that oh so sweet barnyard nose that marries so well with the dark fruits. Hints of pepper, violets, cedar, and tobacco give the nose some nice complexity. Misses a little in the mid-palate, but there's a nice elegant weight to the wine. I've always felt this is a really good wine to pair with food, and I felt the same today. Doesn't dominate on your palate. Good minerality and freshness on the finish. I expect this wine to drink well for 10+ years, but this is in a great spot now. (3755 views) | |
| Tasted by seijaro on 4/30/2017 & rated 92 points: Nice, fun to drink after two hour decant... blips to 93 with the meatloaf. I was maybe a tad disappointed because I expected more from Gruaud, always one of our faves. Smooth and a bit tarry, pretty long finish. Nothing at all unpleasant, but nothing outstanding either. Drink up. Another bottle 6/24/18 basically the same except maybe a point lower at 91-92. (3677 views) | |
| Tasted by Honeyburst on 3/18/2017 & rated 92 points: Classic old-school Bordeaux with many years of a drinking window ahead of it. Barnyard notes are dominating the nose at first and later gives way to dark fruits like blackberry and boysenberry. There is a slight hollowness in the secondary phase on the palette that prevents me from scoring it higher. Decant or double-decant recommended. (3822 views) | |
| Tasted by philweird on 10/10/2016: opened the bottle for a 2-hour decant and the wine tasted excellent. 3 hours later it smelled more like dirty sox and tasted even worse. Maybe these are pop'n'pour? (5231 views) | |
| Tasted by forceberry on 9/30/2016 flawed bottle: Tasted in a horizontal of five 1996 Left-Banks (Cos d'Estournel, Lynch-Bages, Ducru-Caillou, Leoville-Barton and this). Alc. 12,5%. Moderately translucent, a bit pale cherry red color with a modestly developed, orange rim. Though there was some aged complexity to the nose, everyone thought there was slight hint of TCA as well. Because no-one was keen on throwing the wine of this caliber away, we took some polyethene plastic wrap, jammed it into our glasses and let it soak there for a while - this supposedly can remove some corky aromas. And lo and behold, the wine improved some! Not thoroughly, though - there were dry, savory and dusty aromas of earth, some ripe cassis, a little plummy fruit and a whiff of struck matchstick. The palate was quite full-bodied and silky with flavors of dark fruit, some dark-toned oak spices, a little earth and hints of TCA mustiness. Moderately high acidity and ample, firm and pretty ripe tannins. The finish is long, dark-toned and a bit bitter with flavors of plummy fruit, some wood and hints of dusty cellar. I really can't rate this wine, as it was not in an optimal drinking condition. However, the plastic wrap trick really worked - up to a point. Whereas the wine was quite unapproachable at first, after the plastic wrap soak the wine was actually quite drinkable, although far from perfect. The nose cleaned up almost completely, but the palate not as much, leaving a slightly cellary hint behind. However, the disagreeable wet cardboard and mouldy aromas and flavors disappeared completely. It was a nice expreiment and one that let us assess how the structure of the wine was, but with flavors a bit muted, the overall picture was rather vague and smudgy. A shame. (4638 views) | |
| Tasted by HN Cellar on 9/22/2016: Used by 09.09.16 Dinner TC (4010 views) | |
| Tasted by Lype on 9/15/2016 flawed bottle: Corked, yep yep. (1476 views) | |
| Tasted by Jyri Tynkkynen on 9/3/2016 & rated 90 points: Very pleasant mature Bordeaux style wine. Balanced, with elegant tannins and surprisingly fruity for this age. Not too funky --- contrary to what some one stated --- and not very powerful but a very drinkable wine with a long finish. Mature yet not yet very complex bouquet. Would benefit from further ageing but this was my only bottle. Purchased in May in Bordeaux at the L'Intendant Grands Vins de Bordeaux. Drank with roasted lamb, vegetables and mustard sauce --- pleasant match. (3733 views) | |
| Tasted by dkstar1 on 8/15/2016 & rated 91 points: Wine showed great in a blind tasting. The vintage was easily guessed and the actual Chateau was nearly guessed - showing that this wine is showing exactly as it should right now. In a great place. However the wine plummeted at about the 7 hour mark. Would not have been enjoyable on day two. (3977 views) | |
| Tasted by rossi.wine on 6/9/2016 & rated 92 points: From imperial. Red and dark fruit on the impressive nose. This is floral, spicy and showing notes of tobacco, cedar, woodsmoke. Totally open and expressive. Still quite grippy tannins on the palate. Great balance - really elegant and quite subtle with good fruit and acidity . Nice length. Drink or hold. 91-93 (3476 views) | |
| Tasted by Cellarslacker on 4/8/2016 & rated 91 points: Completely open and fresh. Nose shows incense, bright kirsch, gravel and a twinge of brett. Yes, Gruaud Larose perfume can be so lovely. This is very 1996 in it's freshness and balance. Fruit is dense and silky, with a little of that classic Larose expansiveness on the palate, but airy, too. Not a powerhouse like the Leovilles or as beautifully etched as a good Ducru but this is pretty great stuff in it's own way. Perhaps a touch more development to go but I find this so well balanced right now. Drink now till 2030 (3814 views) | |
| Tasted by devraj on 3/18/2016 & rated 93 points: Dark ruby in color with slight bricking. There is no mistaking the Cordier funk!! Absolutely captivating aromas of high quality cedar, dark flowers, cassis and dark plums, hint of barnyard and graphite. An elegant medium bodied palate shows good balance to the sweet dark fruit, wet earth/graphite, medium acidity, melting tannins and a long cedar perfumed finish. Patience is a virtue- this has come a long way from 5 years ago. (3856 views) | |
| Tasted by Rogershkg on 1/19/2016 & rated 91 points: Colour perfect red, clear as a bell. Nose dark fruit. Taste long and typical cabernet (4335 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 12/23/2015 & rated 93 points: From half bottle and decanted for a good hour. Classic well evolved claret. Earthy, cedar, light fruit. On the palate it carries the same tune, well evolved and feels like it's at peak now.mwould have liked some more fruit to be honest given the age but still a beautiful wine. 92-93 (4704 views) | |
| Tasted by CellarBord on 10/24/2015 & rated 92 points: Perfume!, the WOTN, great character. Still holding up. However, some of the bottles were not at the same level. I would recommend drinking up your remaining bottles. The Venison chop with roasted beets and spiced squash was a great match. (3084 views) | |
| Tasted by Shrewsram on 10/20/2015 & rated 90 points: MAGNUM Showing a spicy, developed character on the nose, with hints of seaweed, ink, sweet cassis and raspberry fruit. More seaweed on the palate, with sweet and crisp red fruit flavours and a supple and elegant feel. Possibly a touch pinched on the finish, a little short. Tastes very classic, but every now and then I detected a little taint… should check if there are other bottles to compare with. (1793 views) | |
| Tasted by chcook on 10/18/2015: PNP. Cork perfect. On first opening this had a horsey bretty funk that blew off after a couple of minutes. The nose had a bell pepper note but otherwise classic Bordeaux. On the palate this had great density and depth and really this is very primary despite almost 20yrs age. Thks Kevin! (4007 views) | |
| Tasted by mikeharris on 7/26/2015 & rated 93 points: Bring the funk baby! I have acquired a love of GL and it's unique funkiness. This was fun to drink. Decanted and opened up over several hours. Nice deep red/purple GL color that you've come to love. Let the intense barnyard funk blow off a bit. After a few hours the nose opens with dark cherry, plum, blueberry, hints of cedar and just the right amount of wet barnyard GL funk. Your palate is struck immediately by ripe, dark cherry and plum fruit and followed by some floral and forest floor hints. Smooth and round in the mouth the tannins are fully integrated. Wonderfully long blueberry and cassis finish. This is ready to drink now. No more holding. Enjoy! (4893 views) | |
| Tasted by MEKWINE on 5/14/2015 & rated 96 points: Imbibed in Provence. Deep robe, narrow rim. Leather, dark red and black fruits, graphite on nose and palate. Wonderfully St Julien, elegant with refined ripe tannins, textured and balanced acidity and fruits. Full bodied, with a satisfyingly long finish. (5291 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 2/7/2015: Gorgeous ruby colored, while this is silky smooth right now, it shows no sign of decline (5471 views) | |
| Tasted by LWI on 1/31/2015 & rated 87 points: Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Strange nose initially, blew off. Did become slightly herbal, almost reductive; burned rubber, unbalanced. Either an off bottle or very unsuccessful vintage. (6110 views) | |
| Tasted by xena on 12/6/2014 & rated 93 points: Purchased at the winery a few weeks ago. Decanted for two hours. Drinking very well now. Perfect with elk ribeye. Wish I had a few more. (5275 views) | |
| Tasted by conviction buy on 12/4/2014 & rated 92 points: Pnp, deep garnet on color., yield a very rich nose of leather, cedar wood, black fruit and a subtle floral note. This is a great St Julien right to the textbook. Mid palate also give some pencil shaving aroma, good acidity although the tannin is still slightly grippy, but should soften with airing. This wine is entering its drinking window, simply lovely and underrated. (4675 views) | |
| Tasted by Rogershkg on 11/1/2014 & rated 91 points: Took to dinner at restaurant,so I decanted 2 bottles first to remove sediment. On opening strong aroma of red berries, raspberry. When at restaurant maybe the Lebanese food was too strong but both the bottles I had decanted and 2 further bottles had black fruit bouquet. Colour was good deep red. Taste was strong, plenty of fruit, well balanced and quite long. Good wine, everybody enjoyed it. (4640 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 10/10/2014 & rated 93 points: St. Julien really put out some great wines in the 90s. Drank over 2 hours. Nose had some subtle barnyard that was really nice. On the nose and palate, detected wet earth, dark cherry, mocha, and truffle. Smooth, long finish. Round tannins. Definitely in its prime drinking window, but I'm sure it has 5+ years left to go. Highly recommended. (4261 views) | |
| Tasted by Malibu wino on 9/20/2014 & rated 93 points: This is really delicious wine. It was good straight out of the bottle, but after a 2 hour decant, it emerged balanced, with a pallet of subtle red and blue berry flavors. Funky? Sure, a bit, in a good way. Fully resolved tannins. I bought a well stored case for $85 per bottle, and I am very pleased with the value. If not for the inevitable headache in the morning, I would pop a second bottle. Good juice at this point in time. (4312 views) | |
| Tasted by Dvogt on 9/17/2014 & rated 94 points: Agree with Julian Marshall's on 9/14/2014 tasting notes. (3811 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 9/14/2014 & rated 95 points: This has improved over the last year and is now at its peak. Clean nose with no brett: blueberries and plums with cherry and notes of lavender. In the mouth, the fruit is now really winsome and impressive: as noted before, lots of Victoria plums, with a second wave of cassis and cherry, then a long, satisfying finale of blueberry. The balance is perfect, the structure is solid, the fruit is sweet and intense - que demande le peuple? (3960 views) | |
| Tasted by Whinojb on 8/24/2014 & rated 94 points: fantastic - seamless. Great nose with no real fruit but such complexity of cedar, tobacco, earth and the GL funk. great finish. (3888 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 8/10/2014: Boerne wine club - Paris 1976 Redux... (SLC): Round 7 blue. (4442 views) | |
| Tasted by gsquireh on 8/2/2014 & rated 93 points: Decanted for two hours which was excellent and after five even better. Full bodied, rich and classic style of the more forward modern Gruaud Larose grounded in earth, smoke and incense. Layered herbs, toasted oak, cassis, currant, and a hint of licorice this wine has found it balance and apogee. Can maintain for years, but I believe it is what it is. Drink now or for six more years into the next decade. (3571 views) | |
| Tasted by fc1910 on 7/13/2014 & rated 93 points: after pouring a strong cassis nose, just a whiff of earth, little roasty, still firm and grainy tannins, therefore very tight, a basket full of cassisfruit, cedar, midweight body which has an elegant and tasty showing, develops in the glass and is getting more nuances, this bottle shows a lot of primary fruit, so I expect this 96 GL to evolve in well stored bottles for more than a decade from now, long and very addictive finish, **(**+-?) 92-94+? (3721 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 6/18/2014 & rated 95 points: Fortfarande en del primärfrukt kvar med begynnande stalltoner, tobak, etc., väldigt välbalancerat, skitsnyggt charmigt, jag tro detta vin bara kommer fortsätta växa 95> (4019 views) | |
| Tasted by CellarBord on 5/30/2014 & rated 91 points: Drinking well now with minimal decant. Lovely nose. I tasted a bit of cedar and earth. (3751 views) | |
| Tasted by paulst on 5/30/2014 & rated 90 points: CdB BYOB; Little nose; light fruit with blackbery and raspberry; balanced; still developing; rather simple now; hopeful for the future, but not sure. (3581 views) | |
| Tasted by amateurwino on 4/28/2014: Guessed Bordeaux for the flight, but missed by going Right Bank. This is less ripe and open than I would have expected from a 1996. (3512 views) | |
| Tasted by salil on 4/28/2014 & rated 90 points: This comes across surprisingly youthful next to the '90 and '94. There's plenty of bright dark fruit and cedar on a polished, medium weight frame, but it doesn't show any of that leathery or earthy savouriness I usually expect from Gruaud, and feels a little more tightly wound and tannic on the palate. With air in the glass this gets more fragrant and nuanced, but it still gives the impression that it's holding something in reserve. (4013 views) | |
| Tasted by uli369 on 2/22/2014 & rated 88 points: Zuerst etwas verschlossen und mit dominanten Bitternoten, Danach deutlich besser mit sich entwickelnden Aromen nach Leder und Holz. Recht langer Abgang. Zum Essen dann eigentlich sehr gut. (3874 views) | |
| Tasted by englishman's claret on 1/24/2014 & rated 92 points: It's been a few years since I last had this, but it's still very young - which I suppose should be no surprise knowing the Medoc and 1996. With an hour of air, this showed a beautiful nose full of flowers and elegant cassis fruit that stands in surprisingly stark contrast to a broad-shouldered, ripe palate full of leather and plum. A long finish. Good, polished. (4612 views) | |
| Tasted by Robert T on 12/25/2013 & rated 92 points: Decanted 2 hours before for Christmas Lunch . It was superb lovely nose and beautiful colour.Enjoyed by all.Good body and lovely silky texture. Look forward to drinking rest of case. (4371 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 10/7/2013 & rated 92 points: Slightly bretty, otherwise I would have given it a higher score. All the attributes previously noted. This is a great example of Gruaud-Larose. (5165 views) | |
| Tasted by BillyT on 9/29/2013: Will not score now. Did not decant and it definitely needed that. Also, gut impression 5 years from now you will have a good wine. (4969 views) | |
| Tasted by Rachmaninick on 9/8/2013 & rated 90 points: Complex with cassis, rose petals. Three distinct stages of drink, looong finish. (4447 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonJohnson on 9/1/2013 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2hrs, probably needs 3hrs+. The consensus on the table was that the 96 really needs another 5 years in the bottle but is showing some great potential, tanins are soft and starting to integrate well, there is still some "green" in the wine, seems tight and still too fresh and acidic in places. This will mature into a beautiful vintage. (4534 views) | |
| Tasted by laralh on 8/24/2013 & rated 89 points: Solbær, søt pipetobakk, cedertre, litt jordbær. Balansert, men den mangler litt konsentrasjon. Integrete tanniner og middels lengde. (4226 views) | |
| Tasted by Wine_lvr on 8/19/2013 & rated 93 points: My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): Deep intensive red. Nose of Cuban tobacco, Herbs, Cherries and Leather. Nice sweetness of red berries, caramel. All very elegant and playful. This is a fun wine...drink now to 2025. (4543 views) | |
| Tasted by Peter P on 7/15/2013 & rated 91 points: I like this wine. Very dark. Flowers. Much fruit, cassis. Very good harmony. And a typical St. Julien. A great Gruaud Larose. This wine is in 10 years still good (3308 views) | |
| Tasted by kostaslonis on 6/12/2013 & rated 91 points: (Bordeaux tasting, WineGate) Clean medium tawny color. Clear nose, medium intensity, thick layer of plum and blackcurrant, black cherries, liquorice, vanilla, sweetly perfumed toasted oak, blossom, chocolate, tobacco, subtle but complex, cigar box. I am writing down developing because crazy as it seems it is still kicking. It shows dry palate, medium acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), medium+ intensity, medium body and medium tannins. It runs smoothly in the mouth with jam-my sweetness, plum and blackcurrant again, vanilla, coffee, toast and chocolate, alcohol messing the balance a little. The palate replicates the aroma profile but its standing with a foot across the developed border. Outstanding quality, premium price (90€), developed but could go on for a few more years. This is what aged Bordeaux is all about. (4058 views) | |
| Tasted by Whinojb on 5/19/2013 & rated 92 points: Starting to show it's age - brick at the edge - with heavy wood and undertoned fruit on the nose. Cassis for sure. very strong mouth texture and evolved nicely over the course of several hours. Finish lasted 60 seconds plus. Really good - slightly stringent and mushrooms galore! (4123 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 5/14/2013: Much the same as last year: Blueberry and plums on the nose, with a crisp attack of plums and cherries and a long, satisfying finish dominated by blueberries. Not a hint of brett. It doesn't have the velvety strength of LLC, but this is an excellent St.Julien 1996. This isn't as powerful as the GL 82 or the 90, but it's more cleanly made and on balance I think it's a better wine because of the higher acidity. Highly recommended. (4253 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 5/8/2013 & rated 91 points: Gruaud Larose Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Drinking well now, which surprised me for a 1996. Still a bit backward, but enough balance. Kept expanding with more air, so certainly a wine with room to improve with more cellar time. (5182 views) | |
| Tasted by CellarBord on 4/26/2013 & rated 91 points: WOTN. Notes similar to earlier notes. (4025 views) | |
| Tasted by RickyT12 on 4/16/2013 & rated 89 points: Decent wine, but for the price not worth it. Orange red color. Lot of heat on the nose and decent fruit on the nose. Complex layers of fruit and minerals. A bit earthy even some hints of steak flavors. Decent wine would like to try again sometime. (4404 views) | |
| Tasted by danielk168 on 3/9/2013 & rated 89 points: Good not great, probably peaking now. (4137 views) | |
| Tasted by rossi.wine on 9/20/2012 & rated 91 points: Pleasant nose, leather, cedar. Classic and subtle, quite complex and long. (3639 views) | |
| Tasted by PSPatrick on 9/15/2012 & rated 90 points: The bottle’s filling level was perfect, half of the long cork was soaked. A lot of barnyard funk in the bottle: The wine offered a stinky barnyard nose, with violets, blackberry, beetroot and saddle leather. On the palate the wine showed barnyard funk, earth, saddle leather, tobacco, blackberry, plum, some black currant and beetroot. The light- to medium-bodied wine was very round and balanced, with good acidity and fine, round tannins. It was ready to drink right after popping the cork, but further improved after 1 1/2 hours in the decanter. A nice effort, though I clearly preferred the Château Talbot 2000. Based on my personal preferences the wine has peaked and I would recommend drinking it now after decanting for two hours, but the wine should also hold-up well for at least another eight years. (6096 views) | |
| Tasted by johnh1001 on 8/4/2012 & rated 91 points: Decanted and drank over two hours. Nose was fully open right away with plenty of barnyard earth herbs and dark fruit. The palate was dominated by earth, herbal notes, and more dark fruit. Smooth silky and well balanced. Medium finish. In a great place right now and should hold for years. (6209 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord Rayas on 5/5/2012 & rated 91 points: Sandy's 40th dinner party (Chez Patrick): dark and powerful. nice aroma coming through but still a bit tight and tannic. either decant for a couple of hours or wait a few more years. (7341 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 3/3/2012: Fresh nose of menthol and blueberry, then a strong hint of plums. Very impressive first mouthful, full of Victoria plums, which is unusual for GL, moving into black cherry and a touch of spice, with a finish marked by blueberries. Delicious, GL at its best. I don't think it'll improve much, but there's no need. At least ten years to go, the underlying power will see it out. Best GL since the 90, probably better than that one too. No brett whatsoever. (7550 views) | |
| Tasted by jseal@hotmail.com on 11/22/2011 & rated 86 points: ruby red, almost clear look. Heavy barnyard aroma from nose to taste, heavily tannic, bitter herb, pencil and leather, fruits seem lost. limited complexity, moderate balance - dissapointing and almost ceretainly not worth the price. (8349 views) | |
| Tasted by spotfin on 10/31/2011 & rated 92 points: this is coming along nicely. Typical GL flavors of graphite, cassis, tobacco, smooth tannins, long finish. (7946 views) | |
| Tasted by Serge Birbrair on 10/2/2011: If you are into "barnyard", this is your wine. It hasn't get any better in the last few years and still going strong. Tannins are still young and need either more time in the bottle or in the glass to come around. Other than that, very enjoyable Bordeaux for those who are into of this kind of Bordeaux. (7908 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 9/27/2011 & rated 93 points: Gruaud Larose Masterclass with David Launay (Fine & Rare Wines, London): Still dark in colour. Full on fruit nose, light earth and floral. Big elegant and round, well aged. Good depth and lots of ripe tannins. Anoither great showing from this wine. Maybe a tough tin on the mid palate. 92-93 drink from now. (8778 views) | |
| Tasted by yenda on 8/11/2011 & rated 90 points: Drank along 1990. This drinks very well yet has an ample room to improve further. (8245 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 7/20/2011 & rated 93 points: True or False: Would I Lie to you? Fine wines of the world tutored & panel game (Berry Bros & Rudd, London): WOTN. From the first wiff of this beautifull wine you go straight to mid nineties bordeuax. Minty, herby notes on the nose along with the fruit. Mature and well rounded and no harshness and drinks very well now. Recently we have had some very good experinces with 96s (talbot for example). We will buy more. 93 drink from now but will last. Very good. (8941 views) | |
| Tasted by don_quichotte on 7/18/2011 & rated 92 points: Really rather lovely semi-mature Bordeaux. Still some blackcurrant on the nose, but starting to be dominated by leather and cedar. Palate is fresh and attractive, with notes of red/black fruits and some earth. Ramarkably fine tannins. Nice. (8258 views) | |
| Tasted by paulst on 6/17/2011 & rated 89 points: Leather and tar nose; earthy and acidic with some light blackberry; tannic; moderate finish. Black Pearl Newport with pinot noir glass. (8416 views) | |
| Tasted by Whinojb on 4/24/2011 & rated 94 points: Beautiful Bordeaux color showing slight orange tint at the edge. Nose of earth, funk and leather with a slight sweetness of vanilla. Dark fruits driven by powerfully integrated tannins showing another decade or so to this superb juice. Popped and poured over an hour continuing to develop more and more complexity. Finish was long and tasty. (8917 views) | |
| Tasted by jpcairney on 4/9/2011 & rated 89 points: Excellent, dependable Bordeaux. Drinking well now; single decant, 1 hour. (8995 views) | |
| Tasted by Marc on 3/18/2011 & rated 92 points: Glengarry Old Wines Dinner (Auckland, New Zealand): I may be slightly over-rating this wine, but it is a beautiful example of a Medoc from the 1996 vintage. It has wonderful poise and lovely balance. Extremely elegant and still tight. This wine convinces on this proportion rather than mass. This is drinkable now but I imagine it will continue to gain nuance in the years to come. Outstanding medium weigh bordeaux. (9828 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord Rayas on 3/10/2011 & rated 92 points: Gruaud Larose Wine Dinner (The Press Room): dense and masculine, with notes of leather, cedar and spices. complex. (9724 views) | |
| Tasted by Ho Bryan on 2/25/2011 & rated 90 points: Good wine and quite the Larose but preferred the 2000. The 1996 just seemded to slightly over-exaggerate this wine's usual attributes; a tad too excessive. 30 minute double decant. As others have noted, it had a huge amount of funk on opening. Very briney / brackish for the first hour, with a finish that tasted of some onion. Very backward. A touch too much acidity. May perform better in a few years. Still on the way to its peak, no rush to drink. (9299 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord of the Bottles on 2/20/2011 & rated 89 points: Oak smell. Cassis and blackberry, dark fruit taste. A little lean but balanced and good finish, if a touch acidic. (8965 views) | |
| Tasted by NY Wino on 2/5/2011 & rated 86 points: Tons of funk on the nose that never really blew off. Tons of earth and some evidence of fruit but this wine seemed a bit off. Its possible this wine was corked. (9038 views) | |
| Tasted by richard.stevens on 1/16/2011 & rated 91 points: Leather, cedar, spice, plenty of fruit left too. A great, elegant, mature claret that also has plenty of life left. (9115 views) | |
| Tasted by BigJul on 12/28/2010 & rated 92 points: Un vin acheté cet été à Las Vegas pour 79$, et quel achat ce fut! Son nez est envoûtant, raffiné, complexe, et évolue de minute en minute, offrant des arômes de torréfaction, de cuir, de fruits secs et mûrs, de poivron vert, de fruits rouges, de tomates des champs, accompagnée par une petite pointe animale. La bouche se déguste à merveille présentement, avec une belle matière précise et aromatique, un brin rustique, un équilibre impeccable et des tannins fins. Un vin à point, mais qui est encore loin du déclin, et qui m’a procuré un plaisir fou à le boire. Il me rappelle une fois de plus que les Bordeaux à maturité sont délicieux. 92 (9636 views) | |
| Tasted by SMills on 12/25/2010 & rated 93 points: Third time i've tried this wine and this was the best yet. This was the most complex and integrated of the three. Gave this wine a decent decant and it had all the hallmarks of good claret, good balance between the fruit, oak and tannin - layers of complexity and a long finish. Boring? dependable I would say, but still enough complexity and interest to rate this as excellent winemaking! (9210 views) | |
| Tasted by Sweet Nancy on 12/25/2010: Dark color, good nose of sweet red fruit and cedar, only a hint of fruit on the palate with earthy elements and lead pencil on the palate. Decent finish. Very enjoyable but not as memorable as the 1988 bottles I have consumed. Perfect with rib roast. (9445 views) | |
| Tasted by spotfin on 12/21/2010 & rated 91 points: Maturing nicely. (9565 views) | |
| Tasted by CellarBord on 12/20/2010 & rated 91 points: Nice at the start, but a bit gamey. Filled in after 30 minutes and became my wine of the night. Coffee was the one attribute I remember. In a very good place now. Started to fade after 1 hour after pouring. The bottles had been decanted and poured back into their bottles 2 hours prior to being served. Went very well with the Roasted Rack & Loin of Lamb. (9173 views) | |
| Tasted by bmagic on 10/28/2010 & rated 92 points: Nose - wonderful, rich Cab Sauv nose; summer fruits, but with an ever so slight vegetal note; some cigarbox. Palate - dark, black summer fruits; sweet pencil leads; quite detailed and complex, with secondary layers evident. Long finish with some tannins. Almost fully mature. Classic, brilliant Bordeaux. 2nd best wine tonight. (9207 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/4/2010 & rated 85 points: 1996 Gruaud Larose opened with barnyard, tobacco, earth and unclean aromas. Medium to full bodied with a lean, rustic personality and an earthy, cassis flavored finish, this is not a success for a vintage where so many great wines were produced in the Medoc. I do not see this wine improving with age. (9259 views) | |
| Tasted by b.f on 9/19/2010 & rated 93 points: a little barnyard funk at opening but dissipated and gave way to menthol, forest floor, herbs, and subtle cherry in the mouth, fruit still a bit restrained but opened up with air. well balanced and complex with some dusty tannin and a loooonng finish. this wine is still going strong! (8770 views) | |
| Tasted by tooch on 9/18/2010 & rated 93 points: Weekend Wine with Summer Part II; 9/17/2010-9/18/2010 (Las Vegas, NV): Rich, dense nose of dried cassis, roasted mushrooms, elegant cherry, delicate tobacco leaves, and hints of herbs. Beautiful nose that make me say, "wow" when I first dove in. This wine benefited from more air time than the 1996 Leoville Poyferre that was drank alongside it, and the wine was a bit more elegant and refined. The tannis are well integrated, the acid is in a nice place and the fruit still shines through. Beautiful bottle that has a long life ahead of it. (8072 views) | |
| Tasted by avp on 9/10/2010: Nice fruit ranging from cassis to red apple. Pretty barnyard-like giving also notes of cinnamon, cigarbox and earth. Structured, bright and elegant but still almost meaty with velvety tannins. Nice mineral presence, pencil shavings, animal notes and balanced oak toast in the long aftertaste. Has years left, but was drinking rather beautifully already. 89€ in Wine Bar Tintå. (7294 views) | |
| Tasted by jcasey555 on 9/1/2010 & rated 90 points: W Conor terroir similar to Leland vegetable and meat nose. Really long finish. (7219 views) | |
| Tasted by Bernt Olav on 8/1/2010 & rated 93 points: Dette var en verdig avslutning på årets sommerferie. En flott moden Bordeaux med klassisk blyant, tobak og lær aroma. Stor lengde. Mangler litt kompleksitet, men ellers veldig bra. (7708 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 6/23/2010: Very volatile nose and palate over the night. We have been drinking a lot of new world wines lately so I find this difficult to be objective about. I did however love the subtle flavors and musty smells. Not my favorite of the '96s. At this price point I prefer the Clos du Marquis. (7118 views) | |
| Tasted by jpijg on 5/24/2010 & rated 91 points: Nose : blackcurrent, violet, cigarbox. In the mouth the wine is very balanced. tanins are still powerful but smooth and provide structure. fruits is very pure balanced by the minerality of graphite flavours. THe finales is very long. Better than 1995. (7094 views) | |
| Tasted by englishman's claret on 5/6/2010: Thin brick disc with a deep garnet robe, very densely colored. Blackberry, cherry liqueur, pencil lead nose, some nice tertiary forest notes but really expected this to be a bit more advanced - but with some air a bit of barnyard emerges; really struck by the purity of the fruit here. Very classy. Delicious on the palate, same refined fruit but notes of coffee, chocolate too; gripping tannins and perhaps a bit alcoholic but well put together overall. Very nice finish, very long, quality wood. Classic, refined, a bit under-stated and less rustic than I'd imagined this might turn out to be. I'm very satisfied with this. 4/5 now; I'd hold on to this for a few more years - it's drinking really nicely now but I think the tertiary components that are starting to develop could be really special. PS - went very well with a baguette and adelegger cheese - the French and the Germans are finally getting along! (7577 views) | |
| Tasted by joshwoodward on 1/30/2010 & rated 92 points: Churchill's: Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Maumee, OH): Medicinal fennel seed nose. Tannic, acidic, medium-bodied. Refined. Earthy and slightly rustic. Great age, tastes more mature than 14 years. Food wine. Long. $60 (8235 views) | |
| Tasted by christyler on 1/18/2010 & rated 91 points: Very expressive nose - I could smell the wine as I was pouring it out. Lots of graphite, pencil shavings, and rich red fruit. The balance was great, but I found the finish quite harsh and off-putting. I'm not sure whether this was a reflection of how the wine has been stored. This reminded me how good bordeaux can be! (7421 views) | |
| Tasted by bbwood_98 on 1/2/2010: too big, not really together yet- showed leather, and solid tannins, but nice fruit and grip as well as a nice finish- just to strong for my ideas? (7400 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 12/26/2009: Lovely fragrant St Julien nose of cedar, sandelwood, pencil-lead and blackcurrant, none of the the typcal Gruaud meaty, slightly barnyardy character in this one. Lovely, soft tannins, starting to show some development but still a teenager. **** (7158 views) | |
| Tasted by Manus on 12/25/2009 & rated 89 points: The wine has good nose and fruit concentration. Not over-powered but yet not really elegant in style. I would say it is somewhat between musculine and finesse style. Really a good Bordeaux but unfortunately nothing that really excite me. BTW, while 1996 is generally being regarded as a very good vintage in Bordeaux, I hardly find a bottle of 1996 Bordeaux that I found them really good. In contrast, I have much better experience with Bordeaux 2000 even though both vintages were rated by Parker as 96 for St. Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe. More detailed information at below URL http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/hkwine-blog/article?mid=339 (6985 views) | |
| Tasted by MauriceE on 12/20/2009 & rated 92 points: Again a very classy wine. Reserved, stylish, length. Consistent notes. (7196 views) | |
| Tasted by kevin h on 11/8/2009 & rated 93 points: This has developed well since I last had it 3 years ago though still tastes youthful. Deep mulberry and blackcurrant nose with lifting ripe fruit - showing well. Deep cassis fruit, weighty, dense, chewy lots of gamey fruit- stood up well to roast lamb with lots of garlic. Past the in-between stage and moving towards maturity. Still some way to go yet though as this firmed up and became more tannic as we drank it rather than opening up. A 30-40 year wine in the making. Will be a star. Classic 1996 Cabernet dominated flavours. (7362 views) | |
| Tasted by winenuts on 7/7/2009 & rated 88 points: Actually I feel a little bit disappointed of this wine, when I open it, that is no nose at all, after decanting about one to two hours, some nose come out, but not so strong, the smell is light but okay. Drink not so smooth, a little bit rough, may be this wine need to keep for another two to three years, not yet muture at all. The taste is okay, but not excellent. Hope my 2nd bottle will give me a good comment. I still get 11 behind. Decanting may need over 3 hours. (7317 views) | |
| Tasted by City Wine Journal on 5/29/2009 & rated 93 points: Restaurant bottle at General Warren Inne, Malvern PA... $142. Popped and poured. Very mature and settled, comfortable nose that maintained its poise all evening. Leather, earth, and cigar against a blackcurrant backdrop on nose was confirmed on palate, but not quite as deeply... still bright and well behaved. This wine was well integrated, nearly in balance and quite a nice find. Good St. Julien effort and in a nice window. The virtues of patience are rewarded with Grand Crus in good vintages. (7598 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 4/24/2009: Proper claret. Typcal Gruaud meaty, slightly barnyardy complexity on top of classic cedar and blackcurrant. Drinking beautifuly now, tannins pretty much fully resolved, acidity fresh, fruit to match but all melded together with the nicely-developed tertiary characteristics. I may struggle to let my remaining bottles develop much further. ****1/2 (7433 views) | |
| Tasted by yenda on 4/20/2009 & rated 92 points: classy wine, typical st julien (7361 views) | |
| Tasted by KWC3141 on 2/8/2009 & rated 89 points: Still youthful, deep ruby with a hint of purple. Cork could have easily passed for a 2 year old bottle. No rim variation . Nose is straightforward and medium (-) intensity licorice, blackberry, currant, a bit of graphite and underbrush. Medium acid, medium body, medium intensity. It's very very good but the balance is not quite right. Similar to the nose, this is pretty straightforward. Not a great or lengthy finish, but the flavors are excellent, and this drinks very well. A very enjoyable if a bit mild and simple bordeaux. (7315 views) | |
| Tasted by rikipedia on 2/2/2009 & rated 87 points: Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 1996 Vintage (Rodwell House): A deep to almost opaque ruby colour that graduates to a wider orange rim - contrasting!. Plenty of tertiary notes make up the bouquet including truffle, forest floor, mushrooms, game and meat stock. A lively acidity that turns soft and supple in the mid-palate, showing flavours of dry biscuits, mushroom and cigar box. a touch of black fruit peeks out. Rather open-knit texture showing a Merlot richness, the wine is more light to medium bodied than with gentle supple tugging tannins and a medium finish. Enjoyable without wowing. (974 views) | |
| Tasted by MauriceE on 11/29/2008 & rated 92 points: Very classy wine, very stilish. A little reserved at first, but after being decanted for 2 hours this wine showed its quality: excellent. Fine herbs, fruit, very broad nose and taste. Yes, this is a very, very good Bordeaux. Excellent balance, highest breeding. Refined, sober yet rich. (7173 views) | |
| Tasted by Vino Me on 7/21/2008 & rated 89 points: 2nd time I have had this wine. Some friends in Michigan opened this bottle and 2 other GL's. This was decanted for 2 hours before we drank it and I did not think it was showing as well as when I tried this a few years ago. Overly tannic but filled with dirty red fruit, leather, currant and licorice. Needs time but a good contrast to the 1981. 89+ points. (6878 views) | |
| Tasted by Sweet Nancy on 5/26/2008: Very slow to open up. First impression was there was little fruit and a lot of funk. Could it be the dreaded corkiness? Not to worry. As the wine gained air, it also gained dark fruit, leather and earthy notes with that funk in the background. Saved a glass for day two. Very dark and brooding with silky tannins on the finish. Save the last bottle a coupe years! (6697 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 4/29/2008 & rated 91 points: Just popped and poured. This wine takes time to open up. I like it's subtle flavors and classic old world attributes. I would have to downgrade, relative to other prior reviews. Still like at the price point and great contrast to new world wines. (6617 views) | |
| Tasted by spotfin on 3/29/2008 & rated 92 points: balanced, smooth tannins, secondary flavors starting to develop, delish. (6439 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 3/23/2008 & rated 91 points: Deep bouquet with cassis, lead pencil, ink and good oak. Ripe cassis juice. Also some cherries. A lot of firm tannin and bitterness. This wine is still too young. Give it a few more years. (6494 views) | |
| Tasted by Jdog on 1/16/2008 & rated 91 points: Decanted and consumed over a period of two hours. A highly civilized, almost regal Gruaud Larose. The nose is somewhat muted, which is typical of GL. Somewhat light upon opening, this turned into a medium-bodied wine within 15 minutes of being decanted. In the mouth, this wine is all raisiny red and black fruit with plenty of saddle leather and earth. A classic Saint Julien, the finish is on the shorter side, but drink this wine for its purity and class. This wine did not evolve any further after being in the decanter for a half hour, suggesting that additional cellaring is not necessary, though this wine should easily hold for another 5-8 years. (6858 views) | |
| Tasted by Ct Bordeaux on 1/14/2008 & rated 91 points: Wonderful purity of flavor. Medium bodied wine with classic flavor profile of raisins and red fruit , with saddle leather on the nose. I doubt this will improve but should hold for many years. (6615 views) | |
| Tasted by jkoenen on 8/11/2007 & rated 90 points: Bordeaux 1996 @ my place (Netherlands): Barnyard, animal fur, black olives, blueberries, ink. Wonderful concentration, also in tannines. Requires some more time in the cellar. 17.5/20 (4516 views) | |
| Tasted by clee on 8/1/2007 & rated 90 points: A very, sweet lush 1996 Bordeaux that is drinking well now. Not super complex, but quite enjoyable. I don't have much experience with Gruaud but was expecting something more masculine. (6776 views) | |
| Tasted by davergny on 7/25/2007 & rated 89 points: An interesting wine. I decanted and drank most of the bottle throughout the evening, starting with a steak dinner. This wine is more about finesse, elegance than power. An intriguing nose. I kept thinking it smells like creme brulee, with some ripe red berries and, sometimes, the usual tobacco leaf and graphite. The nose is more captivating than the taste. It's medium bodied, very fine, with subtle ripe strawberries, licorice, and other herbs. Very clean mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a pleasant but uninspiring finish. IMHO, I expected more from a 1996 2nd growth, but it's a nice wine. I'd give her 89-90 points. (6135 views) | |
| Tasted by winefool on 7/18/2007 & rated 90 points: 1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Custom House): Medium nose of black fruit with some hollow acidity. Tight angular acidity on the palate with a long black coffee finish. This really opened up much better in glass with some flesh coming through on the palate. (7531 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 7/18/2007 & rated 90 points: 1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Custom House - Chicago, IL): A fresh and giving nose that has roasted herbs and cherries. Palate has fleshy fruit with herbs and medicinal notes adding complexity. (7481 views) | |
| Tasted by Jozefs on 5/15/2007 & rated 93 points: Meat, animal blood, tobacco, graphite and prunes on the aromatic nose. Balanced palate, with some spice, soft tannins and delicious black fruit with notes of black coffee underneath. This is drinking very well now. (6532 views) | |
| Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 4/22/2007 & rated 93 points: K&L Gruaud Larose Dinner (Cetrella Bistro, Half Moon Bay, California): Leather and tobacco nose; tasty, leather, maturing, plush red fruit palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (2704 views) | |
| Tasted by MWes on 4/21/2007 & rated 91 points: An outstanding bottle of wine. Classic pencil lead and leather flavors. Still has many years of life ahead of it. (6224 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 12/19/2006 & rated 94 points: Drank with my buddy in Napa. Classic Bordeaux nose, good structure and finish. Would recommend and at the $40 price point would consider it an outstanding value to buy all day. This wine was drunk against an '01 David Arthur. Both wines showed great with the contrast being sweet velvet for for the DA and classic balance for the GL. (6548 views) | |
| Tasted by kevin h on 10/7/2006 & rated 90 points: A big beast. Tar, Liquorice, beef, leather on the nose. Not much sign of fruit. Similar flavour, an interesting wine at an in-between stage. Very animal: gamey flavours. It has potential but I'd give it another 5 years before trying again. (6511 views) | |
| Tasted by psmith on 2/4/2006 & rated 87 points: Masculine earth-driven notes. Some typical funky cedar or lead pencil character. Has class, but dilute, with an almost mature feel to the fruit but significant tannin remaining. (6556 views) | |
| Tasted by jameswm13 on 5/22/2005 & rated 88 points: A pleasant bottle, but uninspiring. I'm still learning how to rate and evaluate wines. This one, in my opinion, needs more time. Tasted thin and more tannic than I would have guessed. Could be either that I need to decant it longer, or simply wait another 3-5 years. (6870 views) | |
| Tasted by Vino Me on 5/5/2005 & rated 91 points: A mere shadow of what the 2000 will be when it grows up. Nose filled with saddle leather. Rich currant notes and a long finish. The firm but dry taannins are starting to settle down but it still needs time. 91. (6496 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 3/21/2005: Gruaud Larose Vertical (Michael's NYC): Thick with big fruit, toasty oak. Needs time. Darkish. Good fruit with eucalyptus. B/B+ (2333 views) | |
| Tasted by Henman on 1/11/2004: Mineral,cellar,cassis nose.Cedar,cassis,acidic palate. (3386 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 4/12/2003 & rated 93 points: An easy afternoon with close friends (@ My place): Full bodied. Lead pencil. Loaded with good tannin and fruit juice. This is a much too young state of the art wine. Try again in 6 years. The score can easily be 2 points higher by then. (5357 views) | |
| Tasted by R2-D2 on 10/4/2002 & rated 86 points: Weaker than the 99, a slight suprise. Very green, some berries and spice notes, but this could be an off bottle. (1371 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 9/1/2001 & rated 93 points: An easy afternoon with close friends (@ FD): Beautiful complex bouquet with even some peach and caramel. The taste is loaded with black fruits and lead pencil. A beautiful stage now, but this wine has a long future. Rustic wine. (5290 views) |
| Professional 'Channels' |
|
| CellarTracker Wiki Articles |
Château Gruaud LaroseProducer websiteRead 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. FranceVins 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 BordeauxBordeaux Wine GuideVins 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 MédocVins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the MedocVdB 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. JulienVdBRead 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). |