In typical years, I would expect a more tannic wine where the 2011 was lacking. The 2011 is much lighter in mouth feel with minimal length on the palette. In the glass, legs were hardly noticeable. This was my last of 6 bottles bought on release and over this time, it has not improved over the years from the first bottle I tried 10 years ago.
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Dark garnet colour. Rounded, evolving fruit nose with dried berry, toast, marmite, and earth aromas. Medium-bodied with good flavours and replays; savoury, desiccated finish. 4/5
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Quite bright red with a meaty gamey leathery and tobacco suffused nose and seems a little tertiary. Wine is medium bodied showing more tobacco and red fruit notes. It glides down the throat nicely and is a classical claret that is well balanced and with well judged acidity and commensurate freshness. Tasted at the Chateau on an organised visit.
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A clean gruaud that shows very young and lacking development. I don’t see anything highly exciting about drinking this now and will put the next bottle on reserve for at least 5 years. There’s some chocolate starting to form in the nose and the finish showed very fresh and substantial, yet undeveloped. HOLD
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Amazing how much improved a wine can be when served at the right temperature with the correct decanting time, I could finally enjoy this Gruaud Larose unlike my last experience when it felt simply like a chocolate wine!
Nose opens up to redfruit and some herbs, and then ripe plum on the palate with a tobacco finish too. Soft tannins were well rounded.
59% CS, 28% Mer, 13% CF with no PV.
I always have a soft spot for "St Julien" appelation as its my namesake, glad this wine has redeemed itself in my eyes!
PJ, Malaysia - 7 Oct 2022
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Yes, this is less plush than the 2012 alongside, but the 2011 Gruaud Larose shows a complex nose full of redcurrant, ash, oak, rose, pencil, and Provencal herb. Fine silhouette despite its wooly tannins. Quite classic, actually.
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MW Institute 2011 Bordeaux Tasting: Vegetable, tobacco, herbs and undergrowth. The palate is just all over the place, the fruit is clearly under ripe and the oak tannins are much too assertive for the level of fruit. Very poor showing.
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Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Full bodied, modest tanning (but some may be hidden beneath the big fruit), some minerals. Hedonistic, easy drinking. Difficult to foresee its future.
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Outstanding nose of coffee, chocolate, minerals, flint and blueberry jam. Fruity and well-balanced with mineralogy and acidity. The finish is a bit lacking, as is complexity in the mid-palate... but it's layered, interesting, and has the tannins to see it through to interesting places.
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Again very nice. Really quite oaky with mocha notes on the nose, but great richness and concentration, juicy, complex, long. Lovely fruit. Needs a couple of years. 91-92+
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Second Sunday Group: 2011 Bordeaux & others (Mike's): Aromas of dark fruit, earthy forest floor and violets. Another pretty bouquet, perfumed and elegant. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors of blackberries and dark fruit with an underlying earthy quality. Again, the tannins are firm but have a certain softness that makes them seem approachable- there's certainly plenty of fruit to support them. Good acidity with a long, elegant earth & violet-tinged finish. 93+ pts.
Hard to pick between this and wine E, but I guess I slightly preferred the little bit of red fruit in E to the darker fruit here. I would certainly be very happy to have either, though both would be better.
My #2, Domino's #1 (I suppose I probably should have both, eh?) Group #2, 42 pts
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I was quite impressed by this. Wonderful dark fruit on the nose, oak, well balanced on the palate, grippy, fresh, with ripe and round tannins. Nice minerality in the finish. 91-93+
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Wonderful leathery nose, hints of plums and red fruit. Already approachable now and easy drinking. The wine is lacking power, lenghth and power. Ok in the perspective of 2011, but disappointing for Gruaud Larose. Better spend an extra USD20 and get the 2010.
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Medium bodied and a little short, but the earthy black and red fruits and soft and clean. The wine finishes with tobacco, herbs, cassis and blackberry. The wine was made from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc.
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Obviously still in its infancy. Complex Bordeaux packed with cassis ..good length. Tested alongside Lagrange and Domaine de Chevalier of the same vintage ..and this was clearly the best one.
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Very classic Gruaud here, if not super powerful. This is loaded with cassis and coffee, though a little on the oaky side for me...but it's not weighed down nor is it too tannic on the palate. Should age glacially and make good drinking pretty much all the way.
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Union Des Grand Crus Tasting 2011 Vintage, nose of red and black cherry fruit, allspice, forest floor, cigar box, and a touch of plum, same on the palate, slightly fruit forward, medium body, atypical body for this Chateau-must be the vintage, very tasty today, medium/long finish.
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UGC 2011 (The Drake Hotel - Chicago, IL): A really nice wine with great structure. Certainly a dark fruit profile with lots of earth, florals and tobacco. Nice balance here...should be very nice in 15+ years.
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Bordeaux 2011 from bottle (Park Hyatt Hotel, Washington D.C.): Interesting! I had done a vertical in Duesseldorf for a wine shop there called Wine Live a few years back, for ProWein (German international wine fair). And this 2011 really falls into the category of 2007, but better. Gruaud Larose 2007 is quite elegant and refined but lacks power. The 2011 was gentle and smooth with fine aromatics on the attack through to a somewhat spicy mid palate, medium bodied. Not edgy or angular (charming comes to mind) but somewhat tight on the finish. Good, and certainly not great.
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Le Clos 2011 En Primeur Evening (One & Only Mirage): Barrel sample tasting. Cigar box, plum; classic Bordeaux aromas. High acidity, soft rich tannins, medium body, complex palate combining black fruits, plum, dark cherries, earth, oak structured, and long velvet finish.
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Medium/full-bodied, with crisp, fresh cassis, earth, spice and gravel, the wine ends with a tannic crème de cassis finish that requires age to develop. Produced from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc . 91-92 Pts
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2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): CS 59%, M 28%, CF 13%. 46% of harvest was selected for grand vin. My first bdx barrel sample and I was struck at how ripe and primary the fruit was. Reminded me of Napa(a little). Had plenty of plum and currants, finely polished tannins and plenty of acidity. Fruit was quite clean and pure. Seems like a strong effort. I’ll guess 91-94 potential.
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1/28/2024 - MikeBiker wrote: 87 Points
In typical years, I would expect a more tannic wine where the 2011 was lacking. The 2011 is much lighter in mouth feel with minimal length on the palette. In the glass, legs were hardly noticeable. This was my last of 6 bottles bought on release and over this time, it has not improved over the years from the first bottle I tried 10 years ago.
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11/29/2023 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark garnet colour. Rounded, evolving fruit nose with dried berry, toast, marmite, and earth aromas. Medium-bodied with good flavours and replays; savoury, desiccated finish.
4/5
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4/25/2023 - fussyeater Likes this wine:
Quite bright red with a meaty gamey leathery and tobacco suffused nose and seems a little tertiary. Wine is medium bodied showing more tobacco and red fruit notes. It glides down the throat nicely and is a classical claret that is well balanced and with well judged acidity and commensurate freshness. Tasted at the Chateau on an organised visit.
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3/26/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
A clean gruaud that shows very young and lacking development. I don’t see anything highly exciting about drinking this now and will put the next bottle on reserve for at least 5 years. There’s some chocolate starting to form in the nose and the finish showed very fresh and substantial, yet undeveloped. HOLD
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10/7/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Amazing how much improved a wine can be when served at the right temperature with the correct decanting time, I could finally enjoy this Gruaud Larose unlike my last experience when it felt simply like a chocolate wine!
Nose opens up to redfruit and some herbs, and then ripe plum on the palate with a tobacco finish too. Soft tannins were well rounded.
59% CS, 28% Mer, 13% CF with no PV.
I always have a soft spot for "St Julien" appelation as its my namesake, glad this wine has redeemed itself in my eyes!
PJ, Malaysia - 7 Oct 2022
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6/1/2022 - Mk0825 Does not like this wine:
M
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5/1/2020 - dnnk88 wrote: 90 Points
5th CB Wine Night - Yang Ming Seafood!
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10/1/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Yes, this is less plush than the 2012 alongside, but the 2011 Gruaud Larose shows a complex nose full of redcurrant, ash, oak, rose, pencil, and Provencal herb. Fine silhouette despite its wooly tannins. Quite classic, actually.
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4/17/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 80 Points
MW Institute 2011 Bordeaux Tasting: Vegetable, tobacco, herbs and undergrowth. The palate is just all over the place, the fruit is clearly under ripe and the oak tannins are much too assertive for the level of fruit. Very poor showing.
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1/20/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: flawed
Institute of Masters of Wine - 2011 Bdx Tasting (Hyatt, San Francisco): Reduced, with burnt popcorn on the nose (oak? malolactic issues? yeast selection?).
The palate is clearly extracted and has the silky integration of the other top St. Juliens.
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11/3/2015 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
The Institute of Masters of Wine Annual Bordeaux Tasting - 2011 Vintage (Vintners Hall, London): A pretty solid and harmonious wine. Good balance of ripeness and freshness (something most wines did not have ) elegant and very nice to see GL continue to make solid old school wines. One to own. (91)
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1/31/2015 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Full bodied, modest tanning (but some may be hidden beneath the big fruit), some minerals. Hedonistic, easy drinking. Difficult to foresee its future.
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11/14/2014 - CManthei Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding nose of coffee, chocolate, minerals, flint and blueberry jam. Fruity and well-balanced with mineralogy and acidity. The finish is a bit lacking, as is complexity in the mid-palate... but it's layered, interesting, and has the tannins to see it through to interesting places.
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11/13/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Again very nice. Really quite oaky with mocha notes on the nose, but great richness and concentration, juicy, complex, long. Lovely fruit. Needs a couple of years. 91-92+
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9/16/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 90 Points
Nose of leather and wild poultry... taste of sappy red fruit, tannins present, lacking a bit lenght
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8/26/2014 - yvesbaeten wrote: 88 Points
Pas encore fondu,tres charnu
À laisser-aller vieillir
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7/13/2014 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2011 Bordeaux & others (Mike's): Aromas of dark fruit, earthy forest floor and violets. Another pretty bouquet, perfumed and elegant. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors of blackberries and dark fruit with an underlying earthy quality. Again, the tannins are firm but have a certain softness that makes them seem approachable- there's certainly plenty of fruit to support them. Good acidity with a long, elegant earth & violet-tinged finish. 93+ pts.
Hard to pick between this and wine E, but I guess I slightly preferred the little bit of red fruit in E to the darker fruit here. I would certainly be very happy to have either, though both would be better.
My #2, Domino's #1 (I suppose I probably should have both, eh?)
Group #2, 42 pts
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5/27/2014 - Tao wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at Vinexpo Asia 2014
Smoky leathery nose, beautiful! However thin on the palate and a touch flabby!
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5/17/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
I was quite impressed by this. Wonderful dark fruit on the nose, oak, well balanced on the palate, grippy, fresh, with ripe and round tannins. Nice minerality in the finish. 91-93+
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2/28/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 89 Points
Wonderful leathery nose, hints of plums and red fruit. Already approachable now and easy drinking. The wine is lacking power, lenghth and power. Ok in the perspective of 2011, but disappointing for Gruaud Larose. Better spend an extra USD20 and get the 2010.
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2/16/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Medium bodied and a little short, but the earthy black and red fruits and soft and clean. The wine finishes with tobacco, herbs, cassis and blackberry. The wine was made from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc.
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2/3/2014 - Mad Dog Mikey wrote: 91 Points
Obviously still in its infancy. Complex Bordeaux packed with cassis ..good length. Tested alongside Lagrange and Domaine de Chevalier of the same vintage ..and this was clearly the best one.
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1/27/2014 - yofog wrote: 91 Points
Very classic Gruaud here, if not super powerful. This is loaded with cassis and coffee, though a little on the oaky side for me...but it's not weighed down nor is it too tannic on the palate. Should age glacially and make good drinking pretty much all the way.
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1/27/2014 - thi nguyen wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit . Tasted dry plum nice finish still need more time
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1/26/2014 - europat55 wrote: 90 Points
2011 Union des Grands Crus Tasting (Bentley Reserve, San Francisco CA): Lovely, classic Gruaud Larose nose (A-). Palate is quite tannic right now, but has potential (B+/B++).
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1/25/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Union Des Grand Crus Tasting 2011 Vintage, nose of red and black cherry fruit, allspice, forest floor, cigar box, and a touch of plum, same on the palate, slightly fruit forward, medium body, atypical body for this Chateau-must be the vintage, very tasty today, medium/long finish.
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1/25/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
2011 UGC Bordeaux Tasting (Bentley Reserve, San Francisco CA): Lovely spicy nose, red fruit; smooth rich red fruit palate. Very nice, complex. 91-92
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1/22/2014 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
UGC 2011 (The Drake Hotel - Chicago, IL): A really nice wine with great structure. Certainly a dark fruit profile with lots of earth, florals and tobacco. Nice balance here...should be very nice in 15+ years.
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1/17/2014 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bordeaux 2011 from bottle (Park Hyatt Hotel, Washington D.C.): Interesting! I had done a vertical in Duesseldorf for a wine shop there called Wine Live a few years back, for ProWein (German international wine fair). And this 2011 really falls into the category of 2007, but better. Gruaud Larose 2007 is quite elegant and refined but lacks power. The 2011 was gentle and smooth with fine aromatics on the attack through to a somewhat spicy mid palate, medium bodied. Not edgy or angular (charming comes to mind) but somewhat tight on the finish. Good, and certainly not great.
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1/11/2014 - johnh1001 wrote:
UGC Tasting (Chicago): Surprisingly forward. Dark fruit, earth, sweet and sleek.
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5/31/2012 - Barolo Raymond wrote:
Le Clos 2011 En Primeur Evening (One & Only Mirage): Barrel sample tasting. Cigar box, plum; classic Bordeaux aromas. High acidity, soft rich tannins, medium body, complex palate combining black fruits, plum, dark cherries, earth, oak structured, and long velvet finish.
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4/13/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Medium/full-bodied, with crisp, fresh cassis, earth, spice and gravel, the wine ends with a tannic crème de cassis finish that requires age to develop. Produced from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc . 91-92 Pts
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4/2/2012 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
2012 Bordeaux Trip; 4/1/2012-4/4/2012 (Bordeaux, France): CS 59%, M 28%, CF 13%. 46% of harvest was selected for grand vin. My first bdx barrel sample and I was struck at how ripe and primary the fruit was. Reminded me of Napa(a little). Had plenty of plum and currants, finely polished tannins and plenty of acidity. Fruit was quite clean and pure. Seems like a strong effort. I’ll guess 91-94 potential.
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