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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 58 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by ankitmehra on 12/6/2023 & rated 94 points: The 1966 vintage is a vintage that really opened my eyes into old Bordeaux through Château Lafite Rothschild a while ago so I was very excited to open this up. Muted at first, the nose came alive after ten minutes or so as mature Bordeaux scents of tobacco and forest floor medlied with light red cherries. Initially sharp, with a bit of weight to it, the nose began to fade over the course of the bottle, but was still alluring nonetheless. The palate was surprisingly packed with good acidity with notes of redcurrant still very much so intact in the upfront alongside licorice, mushrooms and a touch of herbs. The mid-palate shifted to more tertiary qualities as tobacco, crème de cassis and mild earthiness led into a finish dominated by spices and meatiness. As a whole, this was everything you could look for in the profile of a nearly 60 year old bottle of wine. (583 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 11/24/2023 & rated 94 points: Very strong showing yesterday.
continues on what seems to be a very long drinking plateau for this wine.
confirms G-L as a long-distance runner and the appeal of the 66 vintage (441 views) | | | Tasted by Bob H on 10/21/2023: My first time trying this - and I would say that it’s hard to believe that this is a 57 year old wine. Amazing. The nose displays some of that typical Cordier funk. Really spreads out on the palate - quite frankly, this is delicious. A real treat tonight. (672 views) | | | Tasted by JulianSkeels on 9/28/2023 & rated 96 points: Excellent and pristine bottle/cork. Popped and poured, and soared straight away with cigar tobacco, cedar and ash. Initially tart red fruit, became much richer and rounder with air and held well for a few hours in the glass. Very good colour - combined with depth of fruit. Will cruise past 2030 and an absolute joy. Love GL from 59 to 66 and 82 to 86. 96/97pts (from a perfect bottle) (726 views) | | | Tasted by Francophile1 on 11/5/2022 flawed bottle: Eight Decades of Decadence: Completely flawed. A bottle of vinegar. Proper storage matters. (1660 views) | | | Tasted by SixHedgehogs on 4/17/2022 & rated 95 points: Deep garnet red. Brick red at the edges. Aroma of cedar, smoked meat, dust, touch of flowers. Great flavour of black fruits, baked apple, spice, hint of roasted nuts. Complex, mellow, elegant. Great with food. Doesn’t taste 50 years old. Possibly eternal. (1591 views) | | | Tasted by bcacarlsson@gmail.com on 9/5/2021 & rated 88 points: Bra kork och välfylld flaska. Inte mycket frukt kvar men angenäm mineral, jord lite höstlöv istället. Eftersmaken satt där men vinet har nog passerat sitt bästa datum. Vi var ett gäng som provade vinet och det var bara jag som gillade det. (2157 views) | | | Tasted by wineappellation on 8/28/2021 & rated 94 points: This is a special English bottle by Peating & Cawdron Ltd, Bury St Edmunds. Excellent storage and condition. Engraved P&C on the capsule.
Color looks a decade younger. Absolutelt lovely mature Bordeaux immediately upon opening. Still fresh with bouquet of dried floweres, old library, lots of ripe black fruits, smoky tobacco, leather, cedar and coffee bean, some undergrowth too.
Silky and delicate with lively acidic, vibrant fruits, pencil shavings, hint of dried red date mingling with autumn leaves. There are noticeable grippy tannins adding texture and protection to the wine in its ageing. Fine, focus and clean. I have to admit it is a very refreshing old Bordeaux claret with a long acid line that I keep sipping, like a young fruity red.
A truly glorious Gruaud Larose. (2197 views) | | | Tasted by Purple Tooth on 7/11/2021 & rated 91 points: At 55 years old, this is in better shape than many 55 year old's I know! The appearance is mid weight and there is great clarity that makes it appear much younger than you might expect. The bouquet is right in line with what you would expect from an old school Cordier wine, with antique cedar chest and must, with a floral earthiness on the back end. In the mouth this is far less interesting as it seems to struggle to find its footing after a great earthy entry, which is followed by a slight emptiness and then a resurgence of a good amount of tannin and lots of acidity. The finish is quite long, but lacks the dimension that you have been hoping for by holding this for a special occasion. At the 3 hour mark, its in full decline and falling into tamarind and tart fruit territory, yet still keeping its length and freshness. The 1966 vintage was a tannic one, and this clearly demonstrates how some things fade and the strong survive! DRINK (2676 views) | | | Tasted by porkandsalmon on 7/1/2021: Label illegible but 1966 printed on the cork. Good fill level. Core of red fruits in balance with the acidity. Meaty notes. A long, lingering herbal, almost medicinal finish. What a treat. (1832 views) | | | Tasted by pkouchu on 1/28/2021 & rated 92 points: cedar, dried herbs, tobacco, currant, leather, dusty red cherries, earth and mushroom.
slight sweetness on the palate from the dried red fruit, earthy and dusty.
cool bottle shape too. (2019 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 12/26/2020 & rated 93 points: Showed very well.
Cork fully saturated but intact and came out in one piece.
The hue alone told us that the wine would be in great shape; very little browning for a St Julien at 54 years.
The best wines from 66 are drinking so well right now combining balance with complexity and elegance. It's such a great reminder as to what classic Medoc wine is about; not the current steroid wines.
Still fruit present but largely tertiary with spices, tobacco, cedar and ( in the best way possible) the Cordier funk.
This wine will continue to drink well for a while, just like Latour and Las Cases. (1600 views) | | | Tasted by Sundbyberg on 5/30/2020 & rated 93 points: This still felt young. Very fresh. No bricking and rather dark. (2216 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 12/2/2019 & rated 93 points: Consistent with previous note. (2560 views) | | | Tasted by patsheridan on 2/7/2019 & rated 92 points: Cork cooked. Tried to pull with Ah-So and it split twice, and finally easily pushed the last 1/4 into the bottle. Excellent color with minor bricking. Beautiful, classic old world nose.
First sip to test gives subtle fruit and subtle tannic structure, with a metallic taste at the very end.
Let sit in glass for 30 minutes: beautifully integrated wine. Fairly bright fruit, with a bit of dustiness and a good 15-second finish. Metallic end-note still lingered, but unobtrusive. This is all one could look for in a 50-year old wine. While this certainly will not improve, I would not be concerned to let it go another 5 years. Bravo! (2912 views) | | | Tasted by srh on 12/21/2018: Friday Tasting Group: My 1st "Killer Bar" (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: GORGEOUS, VERY *attractive*: Flowers, certainly, rest tough to parse;
P: Med body; Rndish entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by acidity & just a TOUCH of astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the FEW, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff, & not at all tired: Might this make its 60th? 12.5% ABV; My Exceptional! 93 & 88 pts RJonWine, 89 Falstaff Magazin, & 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson. (2855 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 6/8/2018 & rated 92 points: The perfect 1966 blend of ferocious and suave. This particular bottle has a nice blackberry, grilled ribeye crust, cedar nose without being quite as funky as some bottles of the 66 Gruaud can be. That said, it also doesn't have the drive that some bottles can have. But for a half, it's pretty good! A wine to be drunk with pleasure anytime. But from whole and half bottle, don't wait. (3853 views) | | | Tasted by RockinCabs on 6/4/2018 & rated 93 points: Nose: Presistant nose of dried currant, blackberry, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Whifs of smoked tobacco and mushroom. Palate: Seriously nice depth to the dark fruit and the cedary/tobacco notes were all there. Finish: Great length and dark fruit with cedar and spice notes that keep this very lively.
From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing shockingly well. Would love to get my hands on Mags of this wine. (3137 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 6/2/2018 & rated 93 points: did not show particularly well last night. Last minute substitution for another bottle, so did not settle particularly well as was a little cloudy when poured. Therefore not decanted. Shows much better today: classic Medoc nose, very much alive , good acidity and balance. Not tasting tired, even the following day. Great showing (2726 views) | | | Tasted by CamWheeler on 10/25/2017 & rated 93 points: SLDS October 2017 #2: Blind. Herb, earth, tobacco and cranberry. Mild but with plenty of layers on the palate, with lots of herbal savoury notes and a little red fruit - this feels complex and resolved. Holding its structure well, this has good depth and length. Lovely stuff. (2834 views) | | | Tasted by Burgnick on 10/9/2017 & rated 94 points: Very good condition. This wine is a stunner. Nose is very complex with smoke, sous bois, red fruit, tobacco, charcoal and herbs. Palate is so expressive with lifted acidity. It is very complex yet weightless. This is amazing. (3740 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 8/1/2017 & rated 90 points: From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing pretty well with the dried currant, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Nowhere near as aromatically complex or penetrating as last year's 750ml bottle. While it might simply be bottle variation, I'd suspect that the format is now playing quite a large role in the lives of most 66s. (3312 views) | | | Tasted by europat55 on 3/31/2017 & rated 93 points: 5 Decades of Gruaud Larose (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A-/A. Palate: A-
My #4. Group's #4 (84 pts).
The oldest Gruaud Larose I've had the chance to taste. Still performing very well despite being 51 years old!!
Tasted blind. (3722 views) | | | Tasted by PanosKakaviatos on 1/3/2017 flawed bottle: 1966 birthday vertical at Domaine de Chevalier (Domaine de Chevalier - actually on 2 December 2016): It seemed just OK but with a somewhat muted expression, which Olivier Bernard said amounted to a slightly faulty bottle. There was no cork issue, but the wine was just not very expressive. Loads of question marks, so we moved on... (4498 views) | | | Tasted by Goldstone on 11/12/2016 & rated 94 points: Daniel's 50th Birthday Dinner (Seasons By Olivier E., 3/F, Two Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong): (From magnum) Dusky, semi-opaque faded plum-red colour. Attractive nose of damp old hay and a nice shitty element.....we are in farmyards here. Palate is absolutely beautiful - harmonious and fully mature, with great rounded and mature but not autumnal fruit. Great tannic backbone and structure. Tons of power on the finish and very reverberant inside the head. This drank like a 1989 rather than a wine 23 years its elder. This was fantastic with the slow-poached egg and white truffle. (4127 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Sep/Oct 2020, Issue #89, Recently-Tasted Bordeaux And Revisiting the 1855 Left Bank Classification
(Château Gruaud-Larose ((St. Julien) served from magnum) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/13/2015)
(Ch Gruaud Larose St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/13/2009)
(Château Gruaud Larose) From 375 ml - bricking, browning, bright medium raspberry color with clear meniscus; very mature tobacco and leather nose; tart leather, charcoal, tart plum, tobacco, tart dried cherry and mineral palate, a little dried out; medium tart finish 88 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/9/2008)
(Château Gruaud Larose) Bright dark red violet; shitake mushroom nose; tasty, shitake mushroom, tobacco, plum, iron and earth palate; medium-plus finish 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of View From the Cellar and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Gruaud Larose Producer website
Read more about Château Gruaud Larose -https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/gruaud-larose/
A visit to Château Gruaud Larose Beychelle-St-Julien estate, winery and vineyards -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-visit-to-chateau-gruaud-larose.html Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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