Inte särskild tydlig mognad i färgen. Stall! Det efterlängtade Gruaud-stallet! Ceder, skog, ved till och med, eukalyptus, vinbärspastill, lite koskit, som sig bör. Så klassikt! Friska syror, grovkorniga tanniner, kalkig, högst levande frukt, lång svans. Utmärkt!
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60% Cabernet Sauvignon 29% Merlot 6% Cabernet Franc 4% Petit Verdot 1% Malbec
Another stellar 1998 that overdelivered beyond the critical reading of this supposedly mediocre vintage for Left Bank Bordeaux. GL packs plenty of charm and characters. Lots of dark fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry), black tea, old leather, sweet spice box, seaweed, mint. Amazing bottle that will have a staying power for at least a decade from now. Drink now until 2033. 91.
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We added this to the line up at our son’s wedding, although we cellared it for his younger sister who passed some years ago. It was an inspired choice and our guests were touched to be drinking her wine as well. I won’t rate yet, as we set it up with the 96 Talbot, which was quite excellent. What I will say is that a number of guests said that this wine gave the Talbot a run for its money and may get even better in the cellar. Hence, ignore my previous drinking note, as I must have had an off bottle! I am excited to see this evolve as we have two cases remaining. This wine brings back many happy memories.
Others’ notes are spot on. Past its prime, but still a nice wine. A bit of medicinal on the open and rounds out after about an hour decant. Definitely not a second day wine. We bought 3 cases for our daughter’s birth year/wedding and this will be great for a rehearsal dinner!
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Tasted in a line-up with '98, '99 and 2003. The 1998 was the best of the lot, very classic bordeaux with black fruit, cedar, cigar, some oak and fully integrated tannins. The 1999 was quite similar in style and characteristics, and was also lovely. The 2003 was underwhelming and dull, and I don't think it will develop into something better.
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A very much a dark wine through and through from the dark fruited and brooding nose to the dark feel on the palate where it actually lacks the elegance that other 1998s have developed after a very difficult start in life. Good wine but really not at the top of the line. 89
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Color - dark ruby to crimson core with brick colored rims at its edges. Nose - started a bit funky but can detect fading fruit of stewed plums & currants, bramble, followed with plenty of secondary & tertiary notes. Rustic pencil lead, wet tobacco leaf, old leather and layers of sweet spice. Palate - medium bodied classic claret with bright acidity. Surprisingly robust tannins with some grip. Velvety mouthfeel with mid-long finish. Lingering flavors with a touch of licorice, forest floor and peat. Delicious!
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Lovely. Continues the theme of 1998 drinking wonderfully and showing characteristic freshness. Very impressive subtly on the nose. Pure across the palate. Dark fruit with subtle complexity. Decent length. At Goodman - ‘good value’ / QPR. A safa to start, this, and then 05 Ornellaia .. worked in that order!
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Chez K, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - dusty ruby, brown rimmed; funky, earth, bramble and plum, bit confused; medium, slightly short, dry, grainy tannins prominent in mid palate leaving sense of lack of balance, dumb fruit which may not have vigour to absorb tannins, against that last glass best, risks but maybe upside, 10+ years. VG (16).
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The wine looks crimson colored. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, prune, fig, forest floor, mushroom, medicinal, lead pencil, nutmeg and clove. The body is medium. The wine has narrow texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. What I did like about this is you can open and drink it. Did not decant except for 30 minutes in bottle and to the glasses.
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Contrary to the pundits, this is a young wine. 4 hour slo ox, one hour decant, and it could have used more, as the wine unfolded in the glass. Dark red, wonderful nose of red and dark fruits, a whiff of brett which blew off prior to drinking. Multiple secondary notes, balance and still present sweet tannins. Smooth mouthfeel. Plenty of fruit and tannin to see this for a good long while. Long finish. A joy to drink.
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Crisp acids and smooth tannins with classic Gruaud notes of leathers, funky earth and deep black cherry fruit. Complex and lifted and still quite young. Highly underrated vintage for this underrated Chateau. 93+
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Gruaud Larose is an over-achiever in this vintage. The nose is full of smoky black currants and sweet cassis. On the palate, it needs a good 2-hr decant and then smooths out and shows delicious flavors of black currants, smoky gravel and tobacco. The finish is still firm suggesting more aging is not a problem but it's amazing now with the decant. When GL hits like this, its the essence of left bank Bordeaux. 93+
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This is quite rich and smoky with wonderful dark red fruits and delicious funky earthy notes so representative of this vineyard. The finish is taut but complex with notes of red spices, sweet earth and graphite minerals. A perfect bottle and a big over-performer for the vintage on the left bank. The smoky funk of a Cordier wine is on full display here.
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Generally this is a wine that would be right in my wheelhouse, but perhaps because of the seasoning in the meat (Korean BBQ) there was something that seemed a bit off about it. Almost like a middle soy or pepper that doesn't fit with the rest of the flavors and so changed the way the wine tasted. Good learning although I feel like we've done old Bordeaux in the past without an issue so maybe just this particular one?
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Powerful, addictive scent w/ barnyard and dark berries, typical bordeaux. Still very fresh and lively, will hold for a while. Mouthfeel less intense but stylish.
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Spectacular nose, very complex, dark berries, cigar box, spices, mushrooms. A lot of intensity. On the palate the wine is light to medium bodied, very elegant. soft tanins and good acidity.
no hurry to drink.
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out of the bottle this had a stink I identified as Brett. after being in the decanter for half an hour, the nose cleared up. this is in a very good spot with fruit and tertiary flavours providing considerable interest. So it probably wasn't Brett; let's say it's bottle stink.
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Consumed straight out of the bottle. Nose far more vibrant than the last bottle some 9 months ago. I dare say it's even tasting better this time round . I'd almost written off this vintage as past its prime but this tasting has got me rethinking things!
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(Blind tasting) Full, brett nose with leather, barnyard and tobacco. Dried black fruit. Blackcurrant and slightly green. Nice cassis hint. Left-bank Bdx. Medium-fullish, austere and bretty palate. Leather, barnyard and earth. Blackcurrant fruit but slightly dryish finish. Fruit fading. Correctly identified as Gruaud-Larose, late 90's. Not for further cellaring.
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This medium/full-bodied, classic charmer is ready, willing and able to deliver its cassis, blackberry, earth, tobacco leaf, and herb filled contents with about 1 hour of decanting.
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Seriously dark. You would think 5 years old not 20. Totally herbaceous on the nose. I personally didn't enjoy the nose. Palatte much better. But this was nothing special. And outshone by a 1998 leoville Barton that was showing much better
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Beautiful news, great fruit, still had some time left in the bottle. Drink is part of a tasting, with cheese and nuts and delivered. Very well balanced between fruit, structure, and acidity
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Big, potent, but clearly Bordeaux in its weight and acid structure. Perfume showing but will develop more. A light roasted note? Opened 3 hrs ahead with 1 hr decant; seemed about right. Very sound bottle. Not my favorite vintage of this wine; not the subtle, refined character I like in Gruaud. Still, a good wine.
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Mørk rød mot svart. Rød kant. Intens forførende nese. Veldig parfymert, en del eik. Plommer og rødbær bak samt noe grønt og bittert. Generøs parfymert i munn ved anslag, mye fattanniner med preg av blyantspiss, tobakk og vanilje. Frukt i bakgrunnen. Litt mye fatpreg for min gane. Konsentrert og intens, mye fattanniner. Kunne vært friskere og eiken er litt dominant. Ekstremt lang. Har nok mange år igjen, men er åpen og fin nå. Kompleks og bra balanse. 92
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A bit tired and thin, with an ash-dominated nose and loads of brett. Muted Concord grape flavors and precious little structure left. Gentle if one is in a charitable mood, else just a bit too dried out.
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Kein wirklich großer Wein! Nicht dramatisch lang, komplex oder druckvoll. Aber wenn man denn so einen gut gelagerten, cabernet-geprägten Bordeaux, von großem Terroir, aus mittllerem Jahr, in perfekter Reife auf dem absoluten Höhepunkt erwischt, dann ist das einfach eine Riesenfreude!!! Sujektiv 3 Punkte mehr!!! Jetzt trinken!!
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Gruaud Larose Tasting and Dinner (Northbrook, IL): Moderate fruit and weight with some rugged structure, resulting in very imperfect balance. I've never been a big fan of this wine in this vintage, but this was less interesting than usual.
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Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): The nose here is quite faint with just notions of ash and cedar. Palate is light, thin and watery. The fruit that is present is plummy. Austere. Pretty disappointing as other lighter vintages (that are much older) showed better in tonight's vertical.
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Same btl as R&Rler. This was the most fully realized red tonight and a real pleasure. This has all the depth you expected from an aged wine but drinking extremely fresh. This has many miles left in the tank and I'd be very pleased to own some of these but, I don't.
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A Mixed Bag of Frenchies and Italians (Heirloom, St.Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color; PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Wow, this was singing, great nose, perfumed, leather, lovely cassis and berry fruit on the nose, with the signature earthiness. The palate is equally beguiling, great balance, good fruit, medium body with elegance galore, dark fruits, cassis, raspberry, earth, fine tannins, leather, long, so nice. My red WOTN. 92+ to 93pts.
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The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It tastes like vanilla and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Seems lighter in appearance and more youthful compared to the 2001. To me, this felt a little more focused on the nose too, with a warmer, sweeter character and still showing some roasted oak. Very sweet and creamy feel throughout, with softer acidity. Supple, charming and open and drinking beautifully. The least challenging wine and some might find the lack of complexity disappointing, but these are made to be drunk!
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wonderful nose of aging Bordeaux. Earthy rich and spicy. On the palate it felt a little thinner than expected and the body was less dense than the nose indicated. Very elegant and complex with nootes of elderflower, tabacco and dried fruit. I would say this bottle was maybe slightly over its peak and lacking the intensity. Still a fantastic wine diplaying a facet of flowery smooth creamy dark fruits with a rather long finish.
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Weekly tasting group #172; Bordeaux 1998 (@ VD): This will be one note for the 1988 and the 1998 tasted blind beside each other. The 1988 (Stored at perfect conditions since release) has a beautiful and elegant bouquet with good oak, salty licorice, graphite and a touch of barnyard. On the palate dark and red berries, some chocolate, green herbs and sweet spices, juicy acidity, a touch of sweetness and a bit drying tannin which still has some power as well. The 1998 was stored for many years at room temperature and had a beautiful bouquet with beautiful oak, sweet spices and some barnyard as well. On the palate red and dark berries, a lot of chocolate, mocha, some leather and tobacco, friendly acidity and melted tannin. Also a touch of metal at first, but with more air time the metal was gone and sweet spices and licorice appeared. Although the comparison is not really fair because of the different storing conditions, the conclusion for this evening was that the 1988 is more impressive because of its age and the future it still has. This bottle of the 1998 was fully mature and a with some more air still a great pleasure. I think both wines, when properly stored can still last until 2018 although there is not much reason to wait. I will score the wines similar to what I did on previous occasions: 1988 - 92 and 1998 - 90.
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Not bad, but not a great QPR. Worked much better with food-steak with a rich sauce. Otherwise a classic nose, cassis, tobacco, leather, but a quite dumb palate-maybe too young. This should be a $40-$50 wine, but goes for about $90.
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Good nose typical of a good classed growth - leather, cedar, tobacco. But a huge disappointment on tasting - no length, lacking any real power and does not do justice to the nose. I have one bottle remaining which I may as well hold for a year or two to see if the bottle I drank now was in transition (I doubt it). If it doesn't improve, nothing has been lost.
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Can't believe how powerful and even slightly tannic this still is. St Julien wines really are a strong bunch. This has cedar and pencil lead and plum. Not incredibly complex. Could go along time. No n3ed to rush.
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Good evolution in terms of colour and on the nose: Notes of cedar, tobacco, undergrowth, dark fruit, hint of chocolate and spices. Open but good grip, fine tannins, mineral and fresh, good length. Drinking very well, but no rush. 91-93
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La question était doit-on boire le 98 avant ou après le 2008.. Finalement nous avons servi les deux en même temps. Le 2008, plus présent au nez mais encore assez tannique, le 98 plus équilibré. Les deux magnifiques en tout cas.
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Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Merlot 31%, Cabernet Franc 7,5%, Petit Verdot 3%, Malbec 1,5% Fut ouvert 2 heures à l'avance, filtré et transvidé dans une autre bouteille, rebouchonné jusqu'au service. Oeil : encore profond, à peine une ombre d'orangé dans l'auréole, très forte viscosité en parois, laisse un film coloré en parois du verre lorsqu'on l'agite Nez : projection d'intensité 6/10, frais, crémeux, poivrons rouge et verts confits, fruits bleus, minéral, épicé, balsamique, touche de terre et de champignon, tabac doux, crème de cassis, sensation vaporeuse, un nez-Spectacle! Bouche : sec, ample, acidité rafraîchissante et juste, tanins encore charnus et fins, amertume moyenne+, persistance longue, rétro cohérente et superbe Conclusion : une beauté! Il se donnait déjà très bien à l'ouverture initiale, un peu mieux encore au service, puis il s'est bonifié continuellement sur les 2 heures de consommation. À boire sur plusieurs heures pour en apprécier le spectacle. Malheureusement la seule. À boire jusqu'en 2020-2022 facilement. 92-93
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Dark deep crimson with garnet rim. The intense nose makes you first think you're sitting next to a bunch of flowers; intensely floral, fresh lilies and also dried flowers, evolving with time to notes of pencil shavings. Underlying this are cassis and red fruit notes. In the mouth, this is incredibly aromatic. Full bodied, meaty, but not at all heavy (it only has 12.5 alcohol). Fantastically long finnish that seems to come back in waves. A marvelous wine.
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The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor, mineral, toast, cedar and oak. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture.
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From 375. Leather and earth on the nose. Ripe plum flavor. Surprised at the still rich fruit flavor given other reviews and the fact this was from 375ml bottle. The tannins are fully integrated. A nice pairing with a Sunday beef roast. Probably on its downward aging trajectory
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Tasted at Chateau. Horse and tea leaves with fresh fig. Very classic nose. Some RS on palate. Palate is more cassis with smoke, pepper, and funky earth. M+ tannin (drying). M acid, M finish. Classic wine.
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aerated and decanted. closed up at first with virtually no fruit, just pure soil and mold and leather. with time it opened up nicely. nose of mold, leather, soil, chocolate, typical bordeaux moldiness. palate of leather, cassis, mold, soil, chocolate and in the mid palate it finally bursts open with lovely floral and berry notes. medium body. the finish is the best thing about this wine. extremely long and nicely rounded out with some sweet and sour fruits. overall, however, this wine is just too "soily" and "moldy" and sour for my taste.
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Gruaud Larose Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Good combination of plum and black cherry aromas with tobacco hints. Similar flavors, somewhat on the simple side but very integrated and balanced. Drinking nicely now, easy to enjoy.
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J'ai ouvert notre dernière bouteille de ce beau vin pour la fin de semaine de Pâques. Intéressant de mettre le tout en perspective de mes commentaires formulées ici même il y a près de 5 ans maintenant. Au visuel, la lame tire un peu sur le grenat et la robe n'est pas parfaitement limpide (ce qui est généralement un bon signe). Au nez, on remarque des arômes classiques de la rive gauche de Bordeaux, c'est-à-dire un beau cassis, du tabac et du cèdre. En bouche, le vin est toujours assez équilibré, mais les tanins ont perdu du galon un peu. Quoique très bon, ce Gruaud Larose devait être à son apogée il y a environ 3 ans et a entamé sa phase de déclin...mais qui sait, on peut parfois être surpris par des remontées inattendues.
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Return to San Anontio (Ducru Vertical); 2/21/2013-2/24/2013 (Monty): Served blind but I knew the year. Funky, "dirty" nose with black cherry and cedar spice. Fine tannins on the palate, where the fruit comes across as more mature and darker, with cedar and toast carrying through the finish where it becomes a bit muddled. Lighter concentration than the other '98's. The funk and red fruit pushed me immediately to GL, and I continue to find this a solid producer than never seems to "wow" me. 89-90
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Dark purple, hints of bricking. Bouquet of Trockenfleisch - very savory and herbaceous. The wine is medium weight, rather long: primary dark fruits (plum, blackberry) with touches of balsamic, soy sauce, cigar tobacco, smoke and cedar. The wine is still vibrant, delicious. Should last for a while yet, but is drinking very nicely now.
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Wide, immediate nose with stable, cedar, an almost smokey oak character, ink and beginning animality. Is there a slight lack of fruit? Left bank without doubt. Medium-fullish body. Nice structure. Dark fruit better on palate than nose. Classic black currant. Inkiness and cedar. Classic and nice "thin" palate. No monster here. But also a bit lacking. A sturdiness to the wine, and rather short finish. Tasted blind, we actually nailed Gruaud-Larose due to the Cordier poo our tasting group is sensitive of. Compared with vintages from the 80's, this chateau was clearly in a declining phase in 1998. Good, but not great.
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Kleur: Diep donkerrood met oranje randje Aroma / bouquet: Rijp, klassiek en super-chique bouquet. Restje cassisfruit maar vooral gedroogd fruit, prachtig geïntegreerd hout, laurier. Smaak / Afdronk: Mooi. Prachtige balans, friszuur, zachte tannines met voldoende power, indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Niet super-complex, maar ernstig lekker. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Color: Deep dark red with orange rim Aroma / Bouquet: Mature, classic and super-chic bouquet. Bit of cassis fruit but mainly dried fruit, beautifully integrated oak, laurel. Taste / Finish: Nice. Beautiful balance, fresh acidity, soft tannins with enough power, impressive length. General / potential: Not super complex, but seriously tasty. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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Dark purple to the rim almost belying its age. Typical St. Julien nose with traditional terroir. Silky smooth tannins and palate feel, however, lacking the boldness I would like. Structure and balance are its hallmarks. Still seems young and requiring more aging. Regardless, tons of potential but the scores reflects how it is drinking now, not in five years.
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Good example of Gruaud, this is quite a massive wine that is only starting to settle down, full of spicy black cherry fruit, bursting forth. Heavy sediment, so it needed decanting, which brought out the aromas of fresh cedar and blackcurrants. Very impressive.
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At first I sensed a very closed wine, a full but flat taste, no fruit. Even thought to smell a bit of mold (!) because of a musty scent. But still a taste rich of alcohol, which made me decide to put the wine in the decanter with shrink-foil (= trick in case of sensing mold) for almost a day.. The little oxidation just gave a sweet tone which I missed and also the musty scent disappeared almost complete! Final result has been the joy of a mature full, classy wine!
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Wine Party. The star of the evening, a gift from MM. Super complex, velvet bordeaux. The cork was in excellent shape. Minimal sediment. Five out of five stars.
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Très belle bouteille à point. Un peu d'évolution à l'oeil. Bouquet explosif sur les notes tertiaires. En bouche, un fruit pas trop exhubérant mais avec des tannins fondus et une très longue finale.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Black fruit on nose with plenty of cigar box aromas and a hint of anise. Dense and black fruit on palate to start, a bit hollow in the middle with a moderate finish. Bit tannic on end.
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Disappointing: lost of smoke and leather and nice acidity. Unfortunately light on fruit and body. Will dring with pepper steak next time as this wine needs a little bit of spice and a nice sauce to reach its potential.
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Intense smoke, leather, blackcurrant and dark cherry, clove spice, cedar, herbs and pleasant leafiness. Plenty of body and richly fruited, cedar, chocolate and spice; fuller than I expected, intense acidity with softened tannins. Long savoury finish with a lick of aniseed.
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This wine surprised as it's drinking beautifully now with wonderful flavors of blackberries, slate and cigar box and a lovely silky texture. Medium-bodied and quite opulent for a GL with tannins that are fairly resolved and a lash of mineral complexity on the finish. I would've guessed a '90 Bordeaux if tasted blind. Really fine and great with roasted meats.
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Beautiful wine. Elegant fruit balanced by leather and ball point pen. Drank alongside the 1986 at a tasting and group was divided on which was preferred
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Right up my alley. This is how I like my Bordeaux. Fabulous mature black current nose, with rusty, earthy notes. Palate is elegant with delicious acid and still noticeable tannins. Bob dislikes Gruaud but I love.
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lovely secondaries of leather, and ground brown spice. perfect age, and balanced on a pin head, fruit is transparent yet holds the spice and earth together for an enjoyable complex almost tea like drink with out the astringency ,skim milk added. i think this is a solid middle weight body and not thin at all.
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nose - mushroom, manure, strawberry. mouth -uninspiring. some cherry manages to break through otherwise barnyard flavors not anticipated for a BdX blend, followed by very substantial tannins. Rather stinkified. We had a short debate over whether the bottle could be spoiled. Out of balance.
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Beautiful wine! Gorgeous color of violet, open nose of classic Bordeaux. Plenty of dark berries, just enough of pencil shaving, spices starting to give room for the secondary elements of wet earth and leather, and fresh acidity keeping the wine so pleasant as the bottle goes down. Toward the end of the bottle some red berries were starting to pick out. It is all about the classic balance which to me is becoming rarer to find! Wonderful.
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Double decanted about 6 hours before drinking. Absolutely fantastic nose of lead pencil, blackberry and a bit of black pepper. Similar in the mouth, with extremely well integrated tannins and no heat whatsoever. Really nice with a beef tenderloin with béarnaise sauce. I think I'll try to find some more of this wine.
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nose - blackberry followed by sweet oak mouth - well balanced, possible a touch thin. good drying tannins and went very well with evan & kevan's red lentil spinach soup (lime&corainder). The soup made the wine taste sweeter and more round. Ripe and respectable but a food wine for sure.
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Initially strong animal and farm yard and some smoke. Settled to leather pencil shaving, red currant, some violet. Medium length. Well balanced with rounded, good structure, some tannin remain, but good acidity. Very accomplished, everything you could ask for from a great bordeaux.
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Initial barnyard and brett...opens into more generous leather. Bit of green vegetal opening into celery salt on nose some tannins left but most are round and silky. Diaper funk, horsey funk, earth, no striking fruit. Nose opens to toast and graphite--imparts a tiny Bordeaux character, other than that it's a Bourgeuil. Dragged down by a large earthy low end; no high notes. Gave this one plenty of air and just couldn't rescussitate it, it was already gone.
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PWS 2009-01: Bordeaux: Left bank. (@ PdV): Expressive bouquet with cassis, liquorice, some earthy smells and luxurious oak. On the palate just a bit sweet start and after that the same impressions as in the nose and some eucalyptus. Juicy, good bitterness, and tannin that is still a bit edgy. Medium to full bodied. The wine will probably still improve the next 2+ years or so.
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Deep garnet color. Earth, herb, black fruit on the nose. Lots of tannins, leather added to the black fruit in the mouth. Tasted at Arnie Millan's Bordeaux Round Table at Esquin.
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March Bordeax Tasting (Waterford Wine Company): Medium-plus intensity to the hue; deeply tinted core and garnet on the rim with a slight haze. Rich, savory aromas...with notes of plum, game, leather (maybe a touch of bret?), cassis, earth, and a hint of anise. Nice concentrated with a corpulent body. On the palate, distinct flavors of cassis, cigar box, forest floor, and earth are carried through on the moderate finish that ends with chewy tannins. Not sure how this will hold up, fruit is already fading...should probably be enjoyed over the next 2-4 years.
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Bordeaux Tasting (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): Whoa. Animal and spice. Chocolate and sweat. Animal and sweat together would seem to present itself as sex. quite a signifier. Tannin is oh so dusty and fine. Red raspberry and currant fruit comes out on the palate. big time. nice subtle, but apparent nutmeg to the finish. Nice minerality in there as well, but oh, that nutmeg finish. excellent experience.
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3 hour decant on this bottle. Gorgeous classic St. Julien nose of earth, smoke, black currant and graphite. The palate is loaded with dark black currant that is covered by bretty/barnyard subtleties and leather. Not viscous or thick, but has a nice structured balance. This could go 20 years more no problem. Long finish. 93 pts.
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Deep garnet. Scents of cedar, leather and currants. Mediun to full- bodied with melted tannins flavors of plums, licorice and spices. Medium aftertaste. A mature St Julien to drink now.
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Dug out of the cellar--I cannot even recall when I purchased 6 of these! A fully ripe nose of sandalwood, spice and earth--but the palate was lacking. Insipid, waterly and shallow--really too bad as these are not characteristics that time will improve. Should have delved into these a couple years back...
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This is my first bottle of Gruaud Larose ever, on the occasion of my birthday, to accompany a meal of USDA choice New York strip steaks with sauteed mushrooms. Upon opening there was an immediate strong, briary nose of plum, currant, cigar box, licorice, and tar. The initial palate featured somewhat tart red and black currant, quickly overtaken by strong, chalky tannins. This was then double-decanted over 2'45". Now the chalkiness was resolved. The nose, too, as also noted below, was softened and less briary. The palate was now a nicely balanced, complex blend of dark fruits, pepper and other spices, cigar box, tar and leather. As this was then consumed over the next 90 minutes it became progressively softer and somewhat flattened. A very interesting experience for my wife and I. We both were "wowed!" by this, my wife from start to finish, while I was most impressed from about the 2-3.5-hour mark. My only bottle of this, it may be worthy to pick up some more.
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Double decanted for 2 hours. Smoky blackberries, leather, white pepper and asian spices on the nose. Not quite as expressive on the palate as it was on the nose, but still had some nice blackberry fruit framed around an elegant texture.
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Oh là là la belle bibitte! Un vin viril, complet, dévoilant des notes de cuir, de tabac, de cassis, etc. En bouche, les tanins sont de bonne qualité, le vin est équilibré et assez long. Belle bouteille qui pourra encore vieillir.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC dinner, popped and poured at our table by David Launay from the Chateau, left in the glass for an hour or so. Opinions seem to be very mixed here, but I thought this very good, and perfectly paired with the grilled lamb dish. The wine is certainly quite tight now. Savoury leather nose, lots of pepper and spice, with the fruit needing some time to come out. There is a really nice sense of structure, however, with dusky tannins and nice fresh acid. I will stick my neck out and say this will be much better in 5 years. I have always been impressed by how well made Gruaud Larose is, vintage in and vintage out, and this wine, to me, demonstrates how it is certainly punching above it's weight.
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We have a winner. Opened last night and poured. Very tight and tannic last night, so I recorked last night and reopened tonight. Soaring nose of animale, cassis, violets, beeswax tobacco and leather. The nose is typical of Gruaud and I'd like to think I can almost pick Gruaud blind by the nose alone...it's that distinctive to me. Really cool black currant, blackberry, and leather on the palate with excellent freshness and loads of tannin. Finishes well. Really seems like a very young wine still with high tannin levels. Maybe it's my cellar being at 55 degrees, but this hasn't developed much more tertiary flavors since I last had it, but it has put on a lot of weight. This experience reminds me why I love Gruaud Larose and why it pays to sometimes buy in non-superlative vintages, as well. Only regret...I opened it 5-10 years too early and it was my last bottle.
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With a Alicia and Irene. Well this was a bit of a surprise, better than I remembered it. Very typical Gruaud where tar and saddle leather meet black fruit. Still some tannin there, but would not hold off to drink now. Very pleasant if a bit one dimensionsal.
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Ruby color. Very closed nose and palate. Acids dominated with well hidden tannins. Unfortunately the fruit was lacking. Decanted and after 3 hours it became softer. Some bitterness remained. It still has some potential for aging but it will never be great because of the lack of fruit.
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TB: Had as part of a Bordeaux tasting next to a 98 Montrose and 01 Gruaud Larose. Clear, purple in color with slight ligtening and browning near the edges. Herbal components, cherry, and wet leaves show through on the nose. Nice palate showing spice and blackberry. Relatively well balanced with a medium finish.
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Somewhat tight, but showed surprisingly well for a '98 left bank. More black fruit than red with earth, some oak, and a hint of funk. Tannins are fairly firm on a medium finish. Might even improve with age.
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Given the 4 hour "Audouze method" for gentle aeration. Lively, dark garnet color with not a hint of bricking. Opaque. Aromas of cigar box, creme de cassis, smoked game meats. Coats tongue, think and chalky mouthfeel, much structure. Still feels tannic. Medium long finish. I would say this wine is very elegant in style and good, but not great. More of a food wine rather than one to marvel at by itself. Nevertheless imminently drinkable and enjoyable with years of cellaring potential. This wine shows IMO why it pays to own "off-vintage" claret in small amounts. It can be had with food in an uncomplicated way and still provide lots of pleasure without being a showstopper.
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Outstanding wine! Complex, a lot of liquorice, cassis, not overripe blackberry and vanilla. Very concentrated juice with a lot of bitterness and tannin. This is a promise for the future.
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4/19/2024 - magnord Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inte särskild tydlig mognad i färgen.
Stall! Det efterlängtade Gruaud-stallet! Ceder, skog, ved till och med, eukalyptus, vinbärspastill, lite koskit, som sig bör. Så klassikt!
Friska syror, grovkorniga tanniner, kalkig, högst levande frukt, lång svans. Utmärkt!
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10/12/2023 - NarunP wrote: 91 Points
60% Cabernet Sauvignon 29% Merlot 6% Cabernet Franc 4% Petit Verdot 1% Malbec
Another stellar 1998 that overdelivered beyond the critical reading of this supposedly mediocre vintage for Left Bank Bordeaux. GL packs plenty of charm and characters. Lots of dark fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry), black tea, old leather, sweet spice box, seaweed, mint. Amazing bottle that will have a staying power for at least a decade from now. Drink now until 2033. 91.
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9/23/2023 - jdporter3 Likes this wine:
We added this to the line up at our son’s wedding, although we cellared it for his younger sister who passed some years ago. It was an inspired choice and our guests were touched to be drinking her wine as well. I won’t rate yet, as we set it up with the 96 Talbot, which was quite excellent. What I will say is that a number of guests said that this wine gave the Talbot a run for its money and may get even better in the cellar. Hence, ignore my previous drinking note, as I must have had an off bottle! I am excited to see this evolve as we have two cases remaining. This wine brings back many happy memories.
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7/3/2023 - jdporter3 wrote: 89 Points
Others’ notes are spot on. Past its prime, but still a nice wine. A bit of medicinal on the open and rounds out after about an hour decant. Definitely not a second day wine. We bought 3 cases for our daughter’s birth year/wedding and this will be great for a rehearsal dinner!
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5/19/2023 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted in a line-up with '98, '99 and 2003. The 1998 was the best of the lot, very classic bordeaux with black fruit, cedar, cigar, some oak and fully integrated tannins. The 1999 was quite similar in style and characteristics, and was also lovely. The 2003 was underwhelming and dull, and I don't think it will develop into something better.
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1/20/2023 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
A very much a dark wine through and through from the dark fruited and brooding nose to the dark feel on the palate where it actually lacks the elegance that other 1998s have developed after a very difficult start in life. Good wine but really not at the top of the line. 89
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8/31/2022 - Romz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Color - dark ruby to crimson core with brick colored rims at its edges. Nose - started a bit funky but can detect fading fruit of stewed plums & currants, bramble, followed with plenty of secondary & tertiary notes. Rustic pencil lead, wet tobacco leaf, old leather and layers of sweet spice. Palate - medium bodied classic claret with bright acidity. Surprisingly robust tannins with some grip. Velvety mouthfeel with mid-long finish. Lingering flavors with a touch of licorice, forest floor and peat. Delicious!
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6/17/2022 - Macdog Likes this wine:
Lovely. Continues the theme of 1998 drinking wonderfully and showing characteristic freshness. Very impressive subtly on the nose. Pure across the palate. Dark fruit with subtle complexity. Decent length. At Goodman - ‘good value’ / QPR. A safa to start, this, and then 05 Ornellaia .. worked in that order!
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6/5/2022 - Geoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young with vibrant fruit and tannins.
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5/31/2022 - liber wrote: 88 Points
Chez K, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - dusty ruby, brown rimmed; funky, earth, bramble and plum, bit confused; medium, slightly short, dry, grainy tannins prominent in mid palate leaving sense of lack of balance, dumb fruit which may not have vigour to absorb tannins, against that last glass best, risks but maybe upside, 10+ years. VG (16).
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2/27/2022 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cedar nose, fading fruit, quite tertiary but lots going on, gentle sweet spice, hints of leather and a touch of meat. Nice mature left bank claret.
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2/3/2022 - dannyg Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks crimson colored. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, prune, fig, forest floor, mushroom, medicinal, lead pencil, nutmeg and clove. The body is medium. The wine has narrow texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. What I did like about this is you can open and drink it. Did not decant except for 30 minutes in bottle and to the glasses.
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2/1/2022 - Geoff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Contrary to the pundits, this is a young wine. 4 hour slo ox, one hour decant, and it could have used more, as the wine unfolded in the glass. Dark red, wonderful nose of red and dark fruits, a whiff of brett which blew off prior to drinking. Multiple secondary notes, balance and still present sweet tannins. Smooth mouthfeel. Plenty of fruit and tannin to see this for a good long while. Long finish. A joy to drink.
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1/13/2022 - Pubu Does not like this wine: 85 Points
A very imbalanced wine.
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11/21/2021 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby red. Aroma of leather. Flavours of blackcurrant and apple. Hint of spice. Crisp, bone-dry. Great with food.
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8/7/2021 - steefbeef Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very fruity with mild integrated tannins. Amazing nose with elegant smokey elements. Color still young. No amber.
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11/13/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crisp acids and smooth tannins with classic Gruaud notes of leathers, funky earth and deep black cherry fruit. Complex and lifted and still quite young. Highly underrated vintage for this underrated Chateau. 93+
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7/26/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gruaud Larose is an over-achiever in this vintage. The nose is full of smoky black currants and sweet cassis. On the palate, it needs a good 2-hr decant and then smooths out and shows delicious flavors of black currants, smoky gravel and tobacco. The finish is still firm suggesting more aging is not a problem but it's amazing now with the decant. When GL hits like this, its the essence of left bank Bordeaux. 93+
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3/16/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is quite rich and smoky with wonderful dark red fruits and delicious funky earthy notes so representative of this vineyard. The finish is taut but complex with notes of red spices, sweet earth and graphite minerals. A perfect bottle and a big over-performer for the vintage on the left bank. The smoky funk of a Cordier wine is on full display here.
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2/28/2020 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Generally this is a wine that would be right in my wheelhouse, but perhaps because of the seasoning in the meat (Korean BBQ) there was something that seemed a bit off about it. Almost like a middle soy or pepper that doesn't fit with the rest of the flavors and so changed the way the wine tasted. Good learning although I feel like we've done old Bordeaux in the past without an issue so maybe just this particular one?
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2/21/2020 - Calvero Likes this wine: 92 Points
Powerful, addictive scent w/ barnyard and dark berries, typical bordeaux. Still very fresh and lively, will hold for a while. Mouthfeel less intense but stylish.
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1/28/2020 - yhn wrote:
Fairly bretty.
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1/21/2020 - NickNYC wrote: 92 Points
Spectacular nose, very complex, dark berries, cigar box, spices, mushrooms. A lot of intensity. On the palate the wine is light to medium bodied, very elegant. soft tanins and good acidity.
no hurry to drink.
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9/6/2019 - KVM wrote:
out of the bottle this had a stink I identified as Brett. after being in the decanter for half an hour, the nose cleared up. this is in a very good spot with fruit and tertiary flavours providing considerable interest. So it probably wasn't Brett; let's say it's bottle stink.
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7/4/2019 - HarveyManfrenjensenden wrote:
Consumed straight out of the bottle. Nose far more vibrant than the last bottle some 9 months ago. I dare say it's even tasting better this time round . I'd almost written off this vintage as past its prime but this tasting has got me rethinking things!
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5/18/2019 - Argrath wrote: 89 Points
(Blind tasting)
Full, brett nose with leather, barnyard and tobacco. Dried black fruit. Blackcurrant and slightly green. Nice cassis hint. Left-bank Bdx.
Medium-fullish, austere and bretty palate. Leather, barnyard and earth. Blackcurrant fruit but slightly dryish finish. Fruit fading.
Correctly identified as Gruaud-Larose, late 90's. Not for further cellaring.
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11/26/2018 - Whitelion Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very well preserved! better than the bottle I drank 6 years ago. All in good balance and still bold: wow!
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11/22/2018 - cschenck wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful Thanksgiving wine. Earth fruit, followed by tree fruit, and almost tasted fig. Nose was all black cherry, currents, and a hint of chocolate
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10/27/2018 - steefbeef Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mooi op dronk. Mild. Nog vfruit. Redelijk ncomplex. Aangename wijn
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10/21/2018 - SeattlePaul wrote: 91 Points
Piles of animal, challenging to get through, but it's worth it overall.
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10/5/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
This medium/full-bodied, classic charmer is ready, willing and able to deliver its cassis, blackberry, earth, tobacco leaf, and herb filled contents with about 1 hour of decanting.
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9/23/2018 - jayw wrote:
Very dark. Good balance. Hard to say whether it will improve much, but still has plenty of life left.
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7/13/2018 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Seriously dark. You would think 5 years old not 20. Totally herbaceous on the nose. I personally didn't enjoy the nose. Palatte much better. But this was nothing special. And outshone by a 1998 leoville Barton that was showing much better
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7/13/2018 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Dark still, tobacco & herbaceous, still young, looks like a young wine, very elegant, notes from the group as I had a flu
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4/3/2018 - cschenck wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful news, great fruit, still had some time left in the bottle. Drink is part of a tasting, with cheese and nuts and delivered. Very well balanced between fruit, structure, and acidity
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2/2/2018 - aChave wrote: 90 Points
Big, potent, but clearly Bordeaux in its weight and acid structure. Perfume showing but will develop more. A light roasted note? Opened 3 hrs ahead with 1 hr decant; seemed about right. Very sound bottle. Not my favorite vintage of this wine; not the subtle, refined character I like in Gruaud. Still, a good wine.
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12/17/2017 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mørk rød mot svart. Rød kant. Intens forførende nese. Veldig parfymert, en del eik. Plommer og rødbær bak samt noe grønt og bittert. Generøs parfymert i munn ved anslag, mye fattanniner med preg av blyantspiss, tobakk og vanilje. Frukt i bakgrunnen. Litt mye fatpreg for min gane. Konsentrert og intens, mye fattanniner. Kunne vært friskere og eiken er litt dominant. Ekstremt lang. Har nok mange år igjen, men er åpen og fin nå. Kompleks og bra balanse. 92
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11/20/2017 - rjul wrote: 88 Points
Mognad enligt ursprunglig notering, 2004-2016
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2/25/2017 - uncle al Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking very well. Some fruit and lots of earthiness.
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11/17/2016 - JonnyG wrote: 86 Points
A bit tired and thin, with an ash-dominated nose and loads of brett. Muted Concord grape flavors and precious little structure left. Gentle if one is in a charitable mood, else just a bit too dried out.
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11/13/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 87 Points
From 375. Very Bretty. Less fruit and more edgy, herbal notes now predominate.
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10/25/2016 - G_H wrote: 83 Points
Tasted at Emirates Lounge Dubai: Not a good wine, lots and lotsbof brett, some unripe Cab notes, leather, green bell peppers. Well that's no fun!
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9/16/2016 - champussi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Kein wirklich großer Wein! Nicht dramatisch lang, komplex oder druckvoll. Aber wenn man denn so einen gut gelagerten, cabernet-geprägten Bordeaux, von großem Terroir, aus mittllerem Jahr, in perfekter Reife auf dem absoluten Höhepunkt erwischt, dann ist das einfach eine Riesenfreude!!! Sujektiv 3 Punkte mehr!!! Jetzt trinken!!
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9/15/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 84 Points
Gruaud Larose Tasting and Dinner (Northbrook, IL): Moderate fruit and weight with some rugged structure, resulting in very imperfect balance. I've never been a big fan of this wine in this vintage, but this was less interesting than usual.
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9/15/2016 - Nanda wrote: 80 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): The nose here is quite faint with just notions of ash and cedar. Palate is light, thin and watery. The fruit that is present is plummy. Austere. Pretty disappointing as other lighter vintages (that are much older) showed better in tonight's vertical.
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7/10/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic GL flavors of tobacco and graphite along with intense mineral complexity. Just a touch underripe but still quite enjoyable.
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4/7/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Same btl as R&Rler. This was the most fully realized red tonight and a real pleasure. This has all the depth you expected from an aged wine but drinking extremely fresh. This has many miles left in the tank and I'd be very pleased to own some of these but, I don't.
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4/7/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
A Mixed Bag of Frenchies and Italians (Heirloom, St.Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color; PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour plus. Wow, this was singing, great nose, perfumed, leather, lovely cassis and berry fruit on the nose, with the signature earthiness. The palate is equally beguiling, great balance, good fruit, medium body with elegance galore, dark fruits, cassis, raspberry, earth, fine tannins, leather, long, so nice. My red WOTN. 92+ to 93pts.
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12/23/2015 - Reinaldo1969 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It tastes like vanilla and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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10/20/2015 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 92 Points
Seems lighter in appearance and more youthful compared to the 2001.
To me, this felt a little more focused on the nose too, with a warmer, sweeter character and still showing some roasted oak.
Very sweet and creamy feel throughout, with softer acidity. Supple, charming and open and drinking beautifully. The least challenging wine and some might find the lack of complexity disappointing, but these are made to be drunk!
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7/28/2015 - pilatus88 wrote: 90 Points
wonderful nose of aging Bordeaux. Earthy rich and spicy. On the palate it felt a little thinner than expected and the body was less dense than the nose indicated. Very elegant and complex with nootes of elderflower, tabacco and dried fruit. I would say this bottle was maybe slightly over its peak and lacking the intensity. Still a fantastic wine diplaying a facet of flowery smooth creamy dark fruits with a rather long finish.
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7/16/2015 - jskuek Likes this wine: 92 Points
2 hours decant, somehow I get bamboo shoots on the nose ... minerals, balance and nice. Med+ body and Med finishing.
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6/22/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Weekly tasting group #172; Bordeaux 1998 (@ VD): This will be one note for the 1988 and the 1998 tasted blind beside each other. The 1988 (Stored at perfect conditions since release) has a beautiful and elegant bouquet with good oak, salty licorice, graphite and a touch of barnyard. On the palate dark and red berries, some chocolate, green herbs and sweet spices, juicy acidity, a touch of sweetness and a bit drying tannin which still has some power as well. The 1998 was stored for many years at room temperature and had a beautiful bouquet with beautiful oak, sweet spices and some barnyard as well. On the palate red and dark berries, a lot of chocolate, mocha, some leather and tobacco, friendly acidity and melted tannin. Also a touch of metal at first, but with more air time the metal was gone and sweet spices and licorice appeared. Although the comparison is not really fair because of the different storing conditions, the conclusion for this evening was that the 1988 is more impressive because of its age and the future it still has. This bottle of the 1998 was fully mature and a with some more air still a great pleasure. I think both wines, when properly stored can still last until 2018 although there is not much reason to wait. I will score the wines similar to what I did on previous occasions: 1988 - 92 and 1998 - 90.
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2/21/2015 - essconsults wrote: 88 Points
Not bad, but not a great QPR. Worked much better with food-steak with a rich sauce. Otherwise a classic nose, cassis, tobacco, leather, but a quite dumb palate-maybe too young. This should be a $40-$50 wine, but goes for about $90.
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1/31/2015 - LWI wrote: 89 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Black currants, a lot of tannin, warm fruit, not much of structure, soft. A lot of Merlot?
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1/2/2015 - jimmcdonnell Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Good nose typical of a good classed growth - leather, cedar, tobacco. But a huge disappointment on tasting - no length, lacking any real power and does not do justice to the nose. I have one bottle remaining which I may as well hold for a year or two to see if the bottle I drank now was in transition (I doubt it). If it doesn't improve, nothing has been lost.
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11/29/2014 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Can't believe how powerful and even slightly tannic this still is. St Julien wines really are a strong bunch. This has cedar and pencil lead and plum. Not incredibly complex. Could go along time. No n3ed to rush.
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11/13/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Good evolution in terms of colour and on the nose: Notes of cedar, tobacco, undergrowth, dark fruit, hint of chocolate and spices. Open but good grip, fine tannins, mineral and fresh, good length. Drinking very well, but no rush. 91-93
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10/4/2014 - jayw Likes this wine:
Expressive nose of plum and cedar. Prominant tobacco on the palate, followed by plum, cassis and cedar. Resolved tannins and exceptional balance
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8/30/2014 - Henrik Franck wrote: 93 Points
Super wine. On top - drink now. Lots of power and nose. Wouw.
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8/23/2014 - jayw Likes this wine:
Very expressive floral plummy nose. Plum and berry, cedar, earth, leather and spice on the palate. Abundant fruit with an astringent finish.
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8/22/2014 - Henrik Franck wrote: 93 Points
What I wine. great nose and powerful body. drink now.
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6/28/2014 - renatodug Likes this wine: 91 Points
La question était doit-on boire le 98 avant ou après le 2008.. Finalement nous avons servi les deux en même temps.
Le 2008, plus présent au nez mais encore assez tannique, le 98 plus équilibré.
Les deux magnifiques en tout cas.
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6/22/2014 - kosmik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Merlot 31%, Cabernet Franc 7,5%, Petit Verdot 3%, Malbec 1,5%
Fut ouvert 2 heures à l'avance, filtré et transvidé dans une autre bouteille, rebouchonné jusqu'au service.
Oeil : encore profond, à peine une ombre d'orangé dans l'auréole, très forte viscosité en parois, laisse un film coloré en parois du verre lorsqu'on l'agite
Nez : projection d'intensité 6/10, frais, crémeux, poivrons rouge et verts confits, fruits bleus, minéral, épicé, balsamique, touche de terre et de champignon, tabac doux, crème de cassis, sensation vaporeuse, un nez-Spectacle!
Bouche : sec, ample, acidité rafraîchissante et juste, tanins encore charnus et fins, amertume moyenne+, persistance longue, rétro cohérente et superbe
Conclusion : une beauté! Il se donnait déjà très bien à l'ouverture initiale, un peu mieux encore au service, puis il s'est bonifié continuellement sur les 2 heures de consommation. À boire sur plusieurs heures pour en apprécier le spectacle. Malheureusement la seule. À boire jusqu'en 2020-2022 facilement.
92-93
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6/21/2014 - L-C. wrote: 92 Points
Dark deep crimson with garnet rim. The intense nose makes you first think you're sitting next to a bunch of flowers; intensely floral, fresh lilies and also dried flowers, evolving with time to notes of pencil shavings. Underlying this are cassis and red fruit notes. In the mouth, this is incredibly aromatic. Full bodied, meaty, but not at all heavy (it only has 12.5 alcohol). Fantastically long finnish that seems to come back in waves. A marvelous wine.
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5/2/2014 - Reinaldo1969 wrote: 94 Points
The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like forest floor, mineral, toast, cedar and oak. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture.
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4/29/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 91 Points
Great, very traditional Claret. WYEIWYG: What you expect, is what you get.
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12/15/2013 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 89 Points
From 375. Leather and earth on the nose. Ripe plum flavor. Surprised at the still rich fruit flavor given other reviews and the fact this was from 375ml bottle. The tannins are fully integrated. A nice pairing with a Sunday beef roast. Probably on its downward aging trajectory
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6/24/2013 - BeachBacchus wrote:
Tasted at Chateau. Horse and tea leaves with fresh fig. Very classic nose. Some RS on palate. Palate is more cassis with smoke, pepper, and funky earth. M+ tannin (drying). M acid, M finish. Classic wine.
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5/10/2013 - drbill wrote:
aerated and decanted. closed up at first with virtually no fruit, just pure soil and mold and leather. with time it opened up nicely. nose of mold, leather, soil, chocolate, typical bordeaux moldiness. palate of leather, cassis, mold, soil, chocolate and in the mid palate it finally bursts open with lovely floral and berry notes. medium body. the finish is the best thing about this wine. extremely long and nicely rounded out with some sweet and sour fruits. overall, however, this wine is just too "soily" and "moldy" and sour for my taste.
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5/8/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Gruaud Larose Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Good combination of plum and black cherry aromas with tobacco hints. Similar flavors, somewhat on the simple side but very integrated and balanced. Drinking nicely now, easy to enjoy.
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4/2/2013 - Partenaire Likes this wine: 87 Points
J'ai ouvert notre dernière bouteille de ce beau vin pour la fin de semaine de Pâques. Intéressant de mettre le tout en perspective de mes commentaires formulées ici même il y a près de 5 ans maintenant. Au visuel, la lame tire un peu sur le grenat et la robe n'est pas parfaitement limpide (ce qui est généralement un bon signe). Au nez, on remarque des arômes classiques de la rive gauche de Bordeaux, c'est-à-dire un beau cassis, du tabac et du cèdre. En bouche, le vin est toujours assez équilibré, mais les tanins ont perdu du galon un peu. Quoique très bon, ce Gruaud Larose devait être à son apogée il y a environ 3 ans et a entamé sa phase de déclin...mais qui sait, on peut parfois être surpris par des remontées inattendues.
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3/16/2013 - larsmello Likes this wine: 92 Points
Open nose with leather, coffee and even a hint of old flowers. Complex and well balanced. Excellent pairing with roast lamb and caramelised onions.
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3/15/2013 - renatodug Likes this wine: 89 Points
Un nez de prune, mais un peu sec, impression de poussière sèche. A dépassé son apogée depuis la dernière fois, pas si lointaine pourtant.
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2/24/2013 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Return to San Anontio (Ducru Vertical); 2/21/2013-2/24/2013 (Monty): Served blind but I knew the year. Funky, "dirty" nose with black cherry and cedar spice. Fine tannins on the palate, where the fruit comes across as more mature and darker, with cedar and toast carrying through the finish where it becomes a bit muddled. Lighter concentration than the other '98's. The funk and red fruit pushed me immediately to GL, and I continue to find this a solid producer than never seems to "wow" me. 89-90
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2/7/2013 - swayzeeee wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple, hints of bricking. Bouquet of Trockenfleisch - very savory and herbaceous. The wine is medium weight, rather long: primary dark fruits (plum, blackberry) with touches of balsamic, soy sauce, cigar tobacco, smoke and cedar. The wine is still vibrant, delicious. Should last for a while yet, but is drinking very nicely now.
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12/31/2012 - Argrath wrote: 89 Points
Wide, immediate nose with stable, cedar, an almost smokey oak character, ink and beginning animality. Is there a slight lack of fruit? Left bank without doubt.
Medium-fullish body. Nice structure. Dark fruit better on palate than nose. Classic black currant. Inkiness and cedar. Classic and nice "thin" palate. No monster here. But also a bit lacking. A sturdiness to the wine, and rather short finish.
Tasted blind, we actually nailed Gruaud-Larose due to the Cordier poo our tasting group is sensitive of. Compared with vintages from the 80's, this chateau was clearly in a declining phase in 1998. Good, but not great.
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11/19/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
Black cherries, truffles, tobacco. Tannins still quite present, so this will probably last for a bit longer.
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11/16/2012 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Kleur: Diep donkerrood met oranje randje Aroma / bouquet: Rijp, klassiek en super-chique bouquet. Restje cassisfruit maar vooral gedroogd fruit, prachtig geïntegreerd hout, laurier. Smaak / Afdronk: Mooi. Prachtige balans, friszuur, zachte tannines met voldoende power, indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Niet super-complex, maar ernstig lekker. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Color: Deep dark red with orange rim Aroma / Bouquet: Mature, classic and super-chic bouquet. Bit of cassis fruit but mainly dried fruit, beautifully integrated oak, laurel. Taste / Finish: Nice. Beautiful balance, fresh acidity, soft tannins with enough power, impressive length. General / potential: Not super complex, but seriously tasty. 50 + Colour: 5 + Aroma / Bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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11/2/2012 - xcblazer10 wrote: 85 Points
At first it was lacking fruit and closed. Decanted and it got much better. Lost the horsesaddle smell and became a well structured wine.
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10/13/2012 - renatodug wrote: 87 Points
Belle couleur sombre. Nez puissant de prune (?), très équilibré et agréable en bouche.
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8/10/2012 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple to the rim almost belying its age. Typical St. Julien nose with traditional terroir. Silky smooth tannins and palate feel, however, lacking the boldness I would like. Structure and balance are its hallmarks. Still seems young and requiring more aging. Regardless, tons of potential but the scores reflects how it is drinking now, not in five years.
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7/20/2012 - redwhiteandrich wrote: 90 Points
Funky musty nose that gives way to tobacco and dark cherries on the palate, soft tannins, this is in a good place now.
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5/9/2012 - Julian Marshall wrote:
Good example of Gruaud, this is quite a massive wine that is only starting to settle down, full of spicy black cherry fruit, bursting forth. Heavy sediment, so it needed decanting, which brought out the aromas of fresh cedar and blackcurrants. Very impressive.
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4/10/2012 - Whitelion wrote: 88 Points
At first I sensed a very closed wine, a full but flat taste, no fruit. Even thought to smell a bit of mold (!) because of a musty scent. But still a taste rich of alcohol, which made me decide to put the wine in the decanter with shrink-foil (= trick in case of sensing mold) for almost a day.. The little oxidation just gave a sweet tone which I missed and also the musty scent disappeared almost complete! Final result has been the joy of a mature full, classy wine!
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3/31/2012 - skurtz Likes this wine:
Wine Party. The star of the evening, a gift from MM. Super complex, velvet bordeaux. The cork was in excellent shape. Minimal sediment. Five out of five stars.
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3/31/2012 - Bisty Likes this wine: 93 Points
Shows real pedigree, tobacco. Delicious!
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3/14/2012 - pomelo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Très belle bouteille à point.
Un peu d'évolution à l'oeil. Bouquet explosif sur les notes tertiaires. En bouche, un fruit pas trop exhubérant mais avec des tannins fondus et une très longue finale.
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2/18/2012 - Apes88 wrote: 80 Points
A bit disappointing
Body is too soft
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1/21/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Black fruit on nose with plenty of cigar box aromas and a hint of anise. Dense and black fruit on palate to start, a bit hollow in the middle with a moderate finish. Bit tannic on end.
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1/15/2012 - BradA wrote: 86 Points
On a snowy night, this is fun to drink but fading fast---drink up.
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12/16/2011 - jerry6 wrote: flawed
traded on le gay pomerol 205 at the SAQ
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8/28/2011 - MichelPlatini wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing: lost of smoke and leather and nice acidity. Unfortunately light on fruit and body. Will dring with pepper steak next time as this wine needs a little bit of spice and a nice sauce to reach its potential.
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4/29/2011 - mattwoolley wrote: 92 Points
Intense smoke, leather, blackcurrant and dark cherry, clove spice, cedar, herbs and pleasant leafiness. Plenty of body and richly fruited, cedar, chocolate and spice; fuller than I expected, intense acidity with softened tannins. Long savoury finish with a lick of aniseed.
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3/15/2011 - dream wrote: 92 Points
This wine surprised as it's drinking beautifully now with wonderful flavors of blackberries, slate and cigar box and a lovely silky texture. Medium-bodied and quite opulent for a GL with tannins that are fairly resolved and a lash of mineral complexity on the finish. I would've guessed a '90 Bordeaux if tasted blind. Really fine and great with roasted meats.
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3/4/2011 - mstar wrote: 90 Points
Lovely wine right in its drinking window. Aromas of dried fruit and berries. Tannins well integrated. Sorry this was the last one.
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1/22/2011 - mfriedman12 wrote: 88 Points
Beautiful wine. Elegant fruit balanced by leather and ball point pen. Drank alongside the 1986 at a tasting and group was divided on which was preferred
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12/29/2010 - mhurford wrote: 90 Points
Blackcurrent and leather nose. Beautiful weight and balance. Fabulous.
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12/4/2010 - PaulHig wrote: 91 Points
Nice sweet fruit, leather on the nose, touch of rust & earth on the palate.
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11/28/2010 - Tavastgatan wrote: 92 Points
Right up my alley. This is how I like my Bordeaux. Fabulous mature black current nose, with rusty, earthy notes. Palate is elegant with delicious acid and still noticeable tannins. Bob dislikes Gruaud but I love.
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8/22/2010 - Le Vin wrote: 88 Points
Some acidity to finish. Will wait to open other bottles in cellar prior to final judgement. Paired with Lamb Chops.
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5/4/2010 - poptart_nyc wrote: 89 Points
lovely secondaries of leather, and ground brown spice. perfect age, and balanced on a pin head, fruit is transparent yet holds the spice and earth together for an enjoyable complex almost tea like drink with out the astringency ,skim milk added. i think this is a solid middle weight body and not thin at all.
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2/3/2010 - soyhead wrote: 84 Points
nose - mushroom, manure, strawberry. mouth -uninspiring. some cherry manages to break through otherwise barnyard flavors not anticipated for a BdX blend, followed by very substantial tannins. Rather stinkified. We had a short debate over whether the bottle could be spoiled. Out of balance.
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1/30/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Churchill's: Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Maumee, OH): Green nose, elegant. Slight grape jelly. Delicious. Ripe flavors, but still light on its feet. Medium tannins and body, medium+ acidity. Perfect age. $60
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12/15/2009 - BradA wrote: 89 Points
Pretty solid tonight. Good grip, chewy tannins and a sweet cedary finish. Some years left if you wish, but I will drink sooner rather than later.
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12/10/2009 - swyang wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine!
Gorgeous color of violet, open nose of classic Bordeaux. Plenty of dark berries, just enough of pencil shaving, spices starting to give room for the secondary elements of wet earth and leather, and fresh acidity keeping the wine so pleasant as the bottle goes down. Toward the end of the bottle some red berries were starting to pick out. It is all about the classic balance which to me is becoming rarer to find! Wonderful.
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11/24/2009 - BradA wrote: 86 Points
Really a nice nose of cedar, graphite and spice. Regrettably, the palate is thin, watery and fading. Must continue to drink these up.
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11/14/2009 - Chateaunole-du-Pape wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted about 6 hours before drinking. Absolutely fantastic nose of lead pencil, blackberry and a bit of black pepper. Similar in the mouth, with extremely well integrated tannins and no heat whatsoever. Really nice with a beef tenderloin with béarnaise sauce. I think I'll try to find some more of this wine.
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10/17/2009 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose - blackberry followed by sweet oak
mouth - well balanced, possible a touch thin. good drying tannins and went very well with evan & kevan's red lentil spinach soup (lime&corainder). The soup made the wine taste sweeter and more round. Ripe and respectable but a food wine for sure.
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10/17/2009 - Vitisvinifera wrote: 94 Points
Initially strong animal and farm yard and some smoke. Settled to leather pencil shaving, red currant, some violet. Medium length. Well balanced with rounded, good structure, some tannin remain, but good acidity. Very accomplished, everything you could ask for from a great bordeaux.
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9/5/2009 - Gargantua wrote: 85 Points
Initial barnyard and brett...opens into more generous leather. Bit of green vegetal opening into celery salt on nose some tannins left but most are round and silky. Diaper funk, horsey funk, earth, no striking fruit. Nose opens to toast and graphite--imparts a tiny Bordeaux character, other than that it's a Bourgeuil. Dragged down by a large earthy low end; no high notes. Gave this one plenty of air and just couldn't rescussitate it, it was already gone.
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4/10/2009 - subir wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby with medium-fast legs. Dark fruits and berries on an expressive nose. Medium to light body with a 35 second finish, almost silky smooth.
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3/28/2009 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
PWS 2009-01: Bordeaux: Left bank. (@ PdV): Expressive bouquet with cassis, liquorice, some earthy smells and luxurious oak. On the palate just a bit sweet start and after that the same impressions as in the nose and some eucalyptus. Juicy, good bitterness, and tannin that is still a bit edgy. Medium to full bodied. The wine will probably still improve the next 2+ years or so.
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3/18/2009 - skifree wrote: 88 Points
Deep garnet color. Earth, herb, black fruit on the nose. Lots of tannins, leather added to the black fruit in the mouth. Tasted at Arnie Millan's Bordeaux Round Table at Esquin.
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3/18/2009 - *Vine* wrote: 90 Points
March Bordeax Tasting (Waterford Wine Company): Medium-plus intensity to the hue; deeply tinted core and garnet on the rim with a slight haze. Rich, savory aromas...with notes of plum, game, leather (maybe a touch of bret?), cassis, earth, and a hint of anise. Nice concentrated with a corpulent body. On the palate, distinct flavors of cassis, cigar box, forest floor, and earth are carried through on the moderate finish that ends with chewy tannins. Not sure how this will hold up, fruit is already fading...should probably be enjoyed over the next 2-4 years.
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3/18/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Bordeaux Tasting (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): Whoa. Animal and spice. Chocolate and sweat. Animal and sweat together would seem to present itself as sex. quite a signifier. Tannin is oh so dusty and fine. Red raspberry and currant fruit comes out on the palate. big time. nice subtle, but apparent nutmeg to the finish. Nice minerality in there as well, but oh, that nutmeg finish. excellent experience.
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2/22/2009 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
3 hour decant on this bottle. Gorgeous classic St. Julien nose of earth, smoke, black currant and graphite. The palate is loaded with dark black currant that is covered by bretty/barnyard subtleties and leather. Not viscous or thick, but has a nice structured balance. This could go 20 years more no problem. Long finish. 93 pts.
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1/31/2009 - balassis wrote: 90 Points
Deep garnet.
Scents of cedar, leather and currants.
Mediun to full- bodied with melted tannins flavors of plums, licorice and spices.
Medium aftertaste.
A mature St Julien to drink now.
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1/1/2009 - BradA wrote: 85 Points
Dug out of the cellar--I cannot even recall when I purchased 6 of these! A fully ripe nose of sandalwood, spice and earth--but the palate was lacking. Insipid, waterly and shallow--really too bad as these are not characteristics that time will improve. Should have delved into these a couple years back...
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12/25/2008 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Extremely horsey and barnyardy nose that I can't get past. No thanks.
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12/8/2008 - wicozani wrote: 91 Points
This is my first bottle of Gruaud Larose ever, on the occasion of my birthday, to accompany a meal of USDA choice New York strip steaks with sauteed mushrooms. Upon opening there was an immediate strong, briary nose of plum, currant, cigar box, licorice, and tar. The initial palate featured somewhat tart red and black currant, quickly overtaken by strong, chalky tannins. This was then double-decanted over 2'45". Now the chalkiness was resolved. The nose, too, as also noted below, was softened and less briary. The palate was now a nicely balanced, complex blend of dark fruits, pepper and other spices, cigar box, tar and leather. As this was then consumed over the next 90 minutes it became progressively softer and somewhat flattened. A very interesting experience for my wife and I. We both were "wowed!" by this, my wife from start to finish, while I was most impressed from about the 2-3.5-hour mark. My only bottle of this, it may be worthy to pick up some more.
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9/22/2008 - jreis wrote:
Double decanted for 2 hours. Smoky blackberries, leather, white pepper and asian spices on the nose. Not quite as expressive on the palate as it was on the nose, but still had some nice blackberry fruit framed around an elegant texture.
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9/6/2008 - Partenaire wrote: 92 Points
Oh là là la belle bibitte! Un vin viril, complet, dévoilant des notes de cuir, de tabac, de cassis, etc. En bouche, les tanins sont de bonne qualité, le vin est équilibré et assez long. Belle bouteille qui pourra encore vieillir.
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6/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
UGC Wine Review Dinner (Conrad Centennial): 88 to 90pts.
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5/26/2008 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC dinner, popped and poured at our table by David Launay from the Chateau, left in the glass for an hour or so. Opinions seem to be very mixed here, but I thought this very good, and perfectly paired with the grilled lamb dish. The wine is certainly quite tight now. Savoury leather nose, lots of pepper and spice, with the fruit needing some time to come out. There is a really nice sense of structure, however, with dusky tannins and nice fresh acid. I will stick my neck out and say this will be much better in 5 years. I have always been impressed by how well made Gruaud Larose is, vintage in and vintage out, and this wine, to me, demonstrates how it is certainly punching above it's weight.
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5/25/2008 - steffenpelz wrote:
We have a winner. Opened last night and poured. Very tight and tannic last night, so I recorked last night and reopened tonight. Soaring nose of animale, cassis, violets, beeswax tobacco and leather. The nose is typical of Gruaud and I'd like to think I can almost pick Gruaud blind by the nose alone...it's that distinctive to me. Really cool black currant, blackberry, and leather on the palate with excellent freshness and loads of tannin. Finishes well. Really seems like a very young wine still with high tannin levels. Maybe it's my cellar being at 55 degrees, but this hasn't developed much more tertiary flavors since I last had it, but it has put on a lot of weight. This experience reminds me why I love Gruaud Larose and why it pays to sometimes buy in non-superlative vintages, as well. Only regret...I opened it 5-10 years too early and it was my last bottle.
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8/20/2007 - PatrikO wrote: 90 Points
With a Alicia and Irene. Well this was a bit of a surprise, better than I remembered it. Very typical Gruaud where tar and saddle leather meet black fruit. Still some tannin there, but would not hold off to drink now. Very pleasant if a bit one dimensionsal.
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6/2/2007 - gven wrote: 79 Points
Ruby color. Very closed nose and palate. Acids dominated with well hidden tannins. Unfortunately the fruit was lacking. Decanted and after 3 hours it became softer. Some bitterness remained. It still has some potential for aging but it will never be great because of the lack of fruit.
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3/11/2007 - drcbarroso wrote: 91 Points
TB: Had as part of a Bordeaux tasting next to a 98 Montrose and 01 Gruaud Larose. Clear, purple in color with slight ligtening and browning near the edges. Herbal components, cherry, and wet leaves show through on the nose. Nice palate showing spice and blackberry. Relatively well balanced with a medium finish.
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10/15/2006 - Wineosseur wrote: 90 Points
Somewhat tight, but showed surprisingly well for a '98 left bank. More black fruit than red with earth, some oak, and a hint of funk. Tannins are fairly firm on a medium finish. Might even improve with age.
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3/18/2006 - steffenpelz wrote: 89 Points
Given the 4 hour "Audouze method" for gentle aeration. Lively, dark garnet color with not a hint of bricking. Opaque. Aromas of cigar box, creme de cassis, smoked game meats. Coats tongue, think and chalky mouthfeel, much structure. Still feels tannic. Medium long finish. I would say this wine is very elegant in style and good, but not great. More of a food wine rather than one to marvel at by itself. Nevertheless imminently drinkable and enjoyable with years of cellaring potential. This wine shows IMO why it pays to own "off-vintage" claret in small amounts. It can be had with food in an uncomplicated way and still provide lots of pleasure without being a showstopper.
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1/31/2006 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Outstanding wine! Complex, a lot of liquorice, cassis, not overripe blackberry and vanilla. Very concentrated juice with a lot of bitterness and tannin. This is a promise for the future.
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6/19/2005 - tayto wrote: 93 Points
Dark, little aftertaste - quite interesting
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3/21/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Gruaud Larose Vertical (Michael's NYC): Tannic with lemon and juicy fruit. Minty. Sharp.
B--
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12/15/2003 - JJA wrote:
Excellent. A favorite!
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