Rubinröd, läderkant med tydlig uttunning. Stallet igen! Klar frukt, mossa, höstlöv, en tjusig cigarrlåda, gammal brun syltad jordgubbe, lakritsrot, tobak, kafferost. En fascinerande och vacker mogen bordeaux-näsa. Nedsmält frukt, mjuka tanniner, smakrik, lite te och citrongräs, lite japanska kryddor, många lager här. Mogen bordeaux FTW!
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1988 Gruaud Larose shows a little brett and was quite hot/boozy at first blush. Tart cherry, earth, pepper, caramel, and smoke round out the nose with a tannic dark chocolate finish. Overall, not bad but lacked a bit of depth and complexity in our opinion. Asture, old school Bordeaux.
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Bought on auction recently. Filled bottom neck. Cork almost completely soaked, but no seepage. Medium to dark garnet colour, some sediment. Dark fruit, vegetal/herbaceous notes, cedar, tobacco, earth, spices, and smoke, with medium-level acidity, fully resolved tannin, and good length. Very earthy. Medium-bodied, medium-complex, smoothly textured and well balanced. Consistent on day two. Fully mature, drink now.
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The first ever bottle in our 11 bottle line-up, after my Triple Zero aperitif, was JY's. Thanks for sharing this first of two Saint-Julien 1988s at LF's birthday party. As it was Bordecmbre, I added a Rausan-Segla 1988 as the next bottle too!
Nose of faint red fruit with hints of funk and earth, very well integrated tannins, and that appearance of medium-garnet with a brownish rim. This was obviously aged, and I guessed.. Left Bank 1988. I thought it was not a Margaux nor a Pauillac.. Bingo!
Palate of leather, oak and blackcurrant too. Smooth mouthfeel, and much of the fruit has given way to secondaries. This has truly softened with its tannins at medium-, but still has depth and complexity. I would class this as an old-school Saint Julien!
As this continued to air in my glass, I found the tannins to be slightly chewy. The finish remained long though! Acidity medium, giving this some brightness and once again.. Another Bordeaux in our line-up which clearly demonstrated longevity.
Some research on the vintage of 1988 at Saint-Julien showed that the season was marked by certain contrasts: winter and spring very humid and hot, summer dry and moderately hot.
Bud burst was observed a week in advance. Rapid and regular flowering. Maturation evolved normally (July averagely warm and humid; August dry, a little hot).
Heavy winter and spring rain (from November to end of June), followed by severe drought from mid-July. August and September marked by little rain, yet no water stress. Temperatures close to normal.
A few days before harvest, the sugar content and acidity resembled those of the recent good vintages. The skins were very thick, and exceptionally rich in colouring matter and tannins.
Overall, I would recommend drinking up, as there is now little upside from here. It is likely to be towards the end of its optimal drinking plateau... Wonderful stuff!
Maillard Grill, KL, Malaysia 30th Nov 2023
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Lovely, smooth, integrated Bordeaux drinking at its peak. This lacks the depth and fruit of its greatest wines in the 80's (82, 85, 86), but is otherwise it is wonderful in a lighter, gentler style. Shows some mild Cordier funk with a silky, resolved palate with nice depth. Fully mature, lovely. 92-93 pts.
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Tasted blind. Opaque dark ruby. Huge nose of graphite and barnyard. Immensely concentrated yet elegant. I thought it was the 1986. This is unbelievably good and a textbook powerful left bank.
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A late night last minute decision to open this one and it surely suffered by lack of air time. The barnyard funk (and I like a good funk) on the nose was thick enough to require a shovel! But yet beneath it enjoyable leather, mushroom, etc. Would really have liked to have this one with a steak and 3-4 hours of air behind it. Thanks for extending the opportunity to taste this one, Ken. Much appreciated!
At One Kitchen at One Hotel in Hanalei...moldy cap w/saturated cork pre-filtered and decanted briefly in advance. At table decanted ~1 hour ahead of Aussie Wagyu Tomahawk shared entree. Early 35th 'meetversary' celebration, this wine was remarkably alive with fruit and acid, complemented by tertiary tobacco-leather on a smooth textured finish. Not a lot of experience with 30+ yr Brdx but this seemed surprisingly delicious, @Robin's TN on point.
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From a magnum. Brown/garnet body, orange rim. Nose of tar and old leather with dried fruit. Bright up front acid mixed with old cabernet. Medium weight in the mouth finishing with soft tannins.
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2022 World Cup Final Argentina vs France! Pre-match bottle to remember.
(1988) Medium garnet with an edge of Tawny. Med+ nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, undergrowth, tobacco, leather and cedar. Dry, med acidity, med+ grippy tannin and med alcohol. Full bodied while mellowed, med+ intensity and finish.
Drink now and enjoy, no need for further ageing after 34 years! Although I’m sure can last for another 2-3 years more, let’s find out.
63% Cab Sav, 25% Merlot, 9% Cab Franc & 3% Petit Verdot.
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left-bank Bordeaux tasting – six wines/six vintages (K&L Redwood City): dark in the middle with some bricking on the rim and funk on the nose. quite a bit of funk… that does let blackberry and plum fruit aromas to come thru, but nearly drowns the herbal and tea notes. medium- to full-bodied in the mouth with a tangy, aged tone to the fruit and tannins that are still firm. there is good balance between secondary and tertiary flavours and the wine still has an energy that somewhat masks its thirty-five years. peppery and spice twist to the finish.
interesting window into an older style of Bordeaux.
57% Cab Sauv/ 31% Merlot/ 7% Cab Franc/ 2% Malbec
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Just below base neck fill. Popped and poured, but finished on night two. I adore the '88 vintage in Bordeaux and it is one of my all-time favorites, at least among the better wines. Gruaud Larose overachieved in the '80s and even '70s, and this is another excellent GL. This has a rustic and very savory nose, with leather, tobacco, sous bois, anise and brambly black fruit. Some cassis, black olive and game notes on the palate, with lively acidity and smooth but slightly woodsy tannins. This is excellent and drinking at its peak.
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Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Bordeaux, St. Julien: Beautiful, complex and mature bouquet with forest floor, oak, dark berries, herbs and spices and some toast. Very luxurious and an enormous depth. Same on the palate, red berries, vanilla, tobacco, cedar. An explosion in the mouth. Beautiful acidity and mature tannin. Extraordinary and fantastic wine which is in a perfect drinking stage now.
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Not as delicious as the bottle we had a few weeks ago which was disappointing. This was a bit thinner and more austere. Still reasonable aged Bordeaux. More secondary than anything.
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I'd never been that impressed with this producer and then someone told me I needed to focus on the pre-1990 bottlings and since then I've found lots to like. This was no different. It was opened and decanted for sediment and then rebottled and brought for outdoor drinking with some new friends. Drank side by side with a '96 Spring Mountain and interesting to see how very prototypical both were. This was old school bordeaux. Drinking very well. More leather and earthy and a big of cigar. Very tasty. I might have preferred this by a hair, but both were excellent.
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Salig og trygg duft som gir følelsen av å lande. Tilbakelent nå. Lagvis aromaer av klassiske toner som blåbær, furugulv, sedertre, søttobakk og krydder. God harmoni mellom det sur/søte i munn, frukten er frisk med hint av moreller og et drag av livlig syre. Voksen utgang med subtile tanniner, finesse og ømhet. En generøs vin som i dette tilfelle er ferdig modnet. Siste flaske av denne fra kjelleren.
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Black fruit, still a bit of tannin, a little barnyard and a lot of leather. Good acids, nose develops some cigarbox and fruit fills out, pretty satisfyingly classic if not a showstopper. B+
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92 points Wine Spectator This tight and powerful red has lots of tannin and fruit concentration. Full-bodied, with lovely violet and berry aromas and flavors. Built for aging.--1988 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2002. (11/1998)
Robert Parker\'s Wine Advocate Dark plum/garnet, with a powerful nose of licorice, roasted meats, smoke, and sweet berry and black currant flavors, this medium-bodied, relatively austere but robust and concentrated Gruaud-Larose still seems like a young wine, and possibly will be longer-lived than its more renowned sibling, the 1989. There is an earthiness and underlying streak of herbaceousness, but there is plenty of depth, concentration, and power to this somewhat burly Gruaud-Larose. Anticipated maturity: Now-2025. (RP) (1/2003)
K&L Notes Neal Martin: "Tasted at The Ledbury Gruaud Larose lunch, the 1988 is a commendable wine from the estate. It takes time to unfurl on the nose, so afford bottles say one-hour of decanting. It eventually offers dusty red fruit, fireside hearth and just a soupcon of cherry liqueur that disappears and is replaced by truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of hardness on the entry. Certainly, in keeping with the vintage it is more austere than the 1989, but it has a lovely tobacco-infused finish that shows good length, if not astounding complexity. Very fine. Tasted June 2011." (Wine Journal, eRobertParker.com, 1/2012)
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Cork almost destroyed, nice old Bordeaux, but didn't give me any wow-feeling, which I almost expect for that price. But I think 86 maybe isn't the best year, as 88 cost ALOT more to buy now
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Had wine at monthly wine dinner with wines 14% or less alcohol, won WOTN. Drinking silky smooth for 32 years in the bottle. Showed a lot of fruit and a wonderful nose. Opened but did not decant 3 hours before drinking.
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Recorked au Chateau in 2001 for Fine Wines International. Opened midday and decanted one hour before dinner. Minimal sediment. Slight funk in aroma. Drank deliciously. Elegant and aristocratic at this age. Minimal tannin. This bottle seemed to have a few years left but no reason to hold off.
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Better on the earthy, tobacco leaf, cedar, leafy, cigar box and red berry nose than on the herbal, peppery, medium/full-bodied, strict, sharp, crisp, crunchy, cranberry and cassis palate. This will probably score higher for those that prefer, old-school Bordeaux.
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opened and let breathe in the bottle for 6 hours. Cork completed saturated. Nice mature flavor profile with minimal Gruaud funk. Based upon this bottle I would drink this up if I had more
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout with a slight, tiny meniscus at the rim. Nose of tobacco, herbs du Provence and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and raspberries. Tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean toward drink.
Madison offline
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Madison Offline 2019; 10/18/2019-10/19/2019: No detailed notes taken. This was a pleasant surprise. Beautiful mature ruby-garnet in the glass. Very little of the expected barnyard funk here, simple and clean, just a bit thin and warm. Not scored.
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I’ve had a bunch of these, but this didn’t have Zachys (where I bought mine) barcode sticker, and I think might have been a gift at some point. Pretty saturated cork. Doesn’t explicitly taste cookedbut softer and less dense than used to, the usual Cordier funk is more pronounced. Maybe seen some warmth at some point? B- for this bottle
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Luis "Bring a good bottle" - Pinot and Bordeaux (Kenwood): To me, this was a beautiful aged Bordeaux that was drinking perfectly. I did not expect it to deliver as much as it did. The palate measured up almost completely to the nose, which is rare. Silky, with complex Bordeaux characteristics, the fruit is still present, long finish.
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Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a small glass over an hour. Geez, this was a super bottle. The nose just oozes pencil shavings, moss, soil, dank basement, and a lovely floral perfume and mixed dried berries. The palate also oozes the pencil notes, tobacco leaf, wood spice, dried dark berries, funk and cassis notes. Long and resolved with just a note of blue fruit. Lovely, mature Bordeaux from a classic producer. Love this. Plenty left here.
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En klassisk, fortsatt frisk og livlig 88`er. Lær, plomme, jord og tobbaksblader. Slank, fruktig og ren stil i munn med detaljer av kjøtt toner i utgang. Bra driv.
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Wow. Still fantastic. I’ve had this wine in my cellar since 1991. Dark prune color. Big bordeaux nose. Complex bordeaux flavors and long finish. One bottle left. When should I drink it?
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Balanced mature bordeaux medium red color, with aromas of earth, pencil shavings, cherry, and cedar. Cherry fruit, cedar, to the palate with subtle tannins on the palate. Like a leather shop. Impressive 30 yr old!
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Mature Bordeaux aromas of dill, graphite, pencil shavings, earth, boiled carrots, candied cherries. Perfume you can't resist and get addicted to. Fruits already faded away leaving rather flat but silky palate. Improves with time spent in glass. Delicate decadence wine.
Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855. Indicative blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 60% and Merlot 30% with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot 10%
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Team Vitis Fall Tasting 88/76; 10/5/2018-10/7/2018 (Tord): Light dark berries and pencil shank on the nose. On the palate there are spices, dark fruits, blood tones and something that is perceived as minerals. Youthful. Very long.
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Medium dark red color, earthy dark mixed berry aromas, rich dark cherry and blackberry fruit, cedar, tobacco, finishes with plenty of fruit and a bit of tannin. Has aged well.
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Had this wine with MOTZ at a tasting. The aromas on the nose were amazing, dark fruit, tobacco, lively. Delivering just as much on the palate. For a thirty year old wine it was still very alive.
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Hair-raising aromas with elusive swirling elements of blackberry, licorice, lavender, cedar, salt marsh, green pepper, other undefinables. Smooth core of deep dark fruit on the palate in shifting layers with integrated tannins, threnody of acid on the finish. 50 + 18 + 18 + 9 = 95.
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Hammer75 brought this to a tasting, for which I am grateful. Nine days have since passed, and this wine, the most memorable non-fortified wine poured that evening, continues to hold my attention.
It is the finest Gruaud Larose I have tasted. At thirty years of age it showed remarkable freshness, on the bouquet and palate, with blackcurrant, pepper garden, and graphite strikingly expressive. The wine also featured effusive secondary and tertiary elements, and still, its liveliness stood out. Indeed, this juxtaposition of vivacity and maturity ranks among the most beguiling tasting experiences of my wine lifetime.
Funk, sous-bois, root vegetables, tobacco, dried thick petal flowers, cedar, worn saddle leather, and deep minerality also showed prominently. The mid palate captivated with its lithe power. The back featured the finest tactile senses of traditional Bordeaux. The evocative finish had no quit in it. It will last for another decade...but why wait? Liquid pleasure!
What a beautiful bottle of classic Bordeaux! I bought this at a time when $23.99 was a lot for me to spend on a bottle. You've probably experienced those times, moving to a new town, buying your first home there, new job,... With this bottle I had a little tear-out rating from back then, from a new wine rag called "Wine Enthusiast" giving this a 91 point score. I laugh to look back and think what I'd have said back then if someone told me I'd be spending 10 or 15X that amount some day for a wine I really had to have. From the price tag, I can tell this wasn't purchased from the merchant I'd end up spending most of my $ with. But one major wine regret is that this "other" merchant (right around this time) offered a fire sale on the '82 of this at $29.99. Could kick myself for buying just 2 bottles as that one is consistently a 95-96 point wine all day long!!!!
$65/bt from auction and what a good buy it has turned out to be. Still quite dark ruby, immediately open on the nose with textbook GL fragrance of plum, soil, forest floor, spice and leather. Mid weight in a good way and still nice glossy fruit with a good acidic uplift which is in balance and really enhances the wine with food. Lovely length, no blockbuster but such elegance and freshness and heathy fruit. These 88s are much better than people think, sadly overlooked over the years but don’t hesitate buying and drinking these as it was delicious and a real crowd pleaser! Can still be enjoyed for another 5-10 years at least.
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Decanted for an hour then back in the bottle to take to dinner (it is JP's wine that I Duranded for him), med. ruby with brick rim, lovely tobacco & dark fruit, soft tannins, med. finish; delicious, drink up
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30 bottles on release,7 remain. Very wet crumbly cork,no decant,very little brick,consistent med ruby color to rim.Intense nose on pour with dark fruit, tobacco, licorice/eucalyptus,subdued tannins but in excellent balance with nice acid.At near peak but a few good years left.2 hrs after initial pour ,beautiful color,lovely nose, no hint of decline.
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Chez Garth. Classic bdx, intense red in the glass, no signs of bricking. 2 minutes in the iSomm to loosen it up, then into the decanter it goes. Intense cedar and tobacco on the nose. The palate is smooth bright cherries oak and acid. Mature delicious and complex bdx. Yum!
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Decanted right before tasting. No bricking, deep red to the edge. Upon tasting still had good fruit, a little smokey with a faint off taste. Put through the iSomm for 90 seconds (in 30 sec bursts with tasting inbetween) now a suburb aged bordeaux. Compares very favorably with the great 86 vintage - not quite as voluptuous. Wonderful secondary tastes of forest floor and licorice appear - almost a little raisiny. One bottle left. This will drink well for another 10-15 years easily
My last impression of this (over 6 years ago) was of a wine that was too tannic and austere. It's come into balance now, as the structure has mostly integrated, and the core of fresh dark berried fruit is augmented by an array of savoury leathery, earthy, herbal, and cedary scents. The aromatics keep getting more intense and complex with air, and this is just a fantastic bottle of Bordeaux in a great place right now.
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Popt and poured and this comes, upon a little funk to start with, singing out of the bottle. After a few swirls the nose comes very much alive, earthy tones, sous bois and a little cedary. Has medium body but expansive pallet, with stil nice cream de casis tones, a strong acidic backbone and a little harsh side to it, which is not strange to the vintage. Tanins are fully resolved. Finish is medium long and very nice. Drink or keep, will not benefit from further aging but will go no where fast.
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Cork disintegrated on extraction. Nevertheless, was able to pour without filtering. Still a lot of fruit, but smoky secondary flavors predominate. Tannins gone, color clear and deep red. Still a lovely Bordeaux; still have one more to go, maybe 5 more years?
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Cork dry as paper, could only be pushed down the neck. Then lots of syrupy sediments, so decanted double. Not the highest expectations, but boy were we in for a surprise. Beautiful, classic St Julien perfume. Fresh acidity, delicate fruit, ripe tannins and long finish. Feels younger than label year. All elements are there but a bit lean on the mid palate and lacks some concentration and depth on the nose to go beyond 93-94p. But a killer wine still which continued to develop for the better the 2 1/2 hrs we followed it.
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Intens nese, mørk frukt, krydder, blyantspiss, furunål, pepper og cigar boks. Stor fyldig munn-følelse, helt nedslipt, bløt rund og behaglig moden frukt, sammlet hele veien. Lang utgang som varer.
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PNP. I am partial to Gruaud Larose and like the so called bordeaux funk. This wine is delicious. Earth, tampenade, leather, dark fruit, tobacco, all the flavors I love in bordeaux. This wine is singing now and I think this still has life left.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #117; Bordeaux St. Julien except Léoville wines.... (By VD and @ VD): Ruby red and showing more depth in the color than Talbot 1983. The bouquet is not extremely expressive at first, but shows same dark berries, graphite and toffee. On the palate red and dark berries, earth. vanilla, high acidity, graphite and licorice. Cedar and some iodine as well. Beautifully mature refined and complex bouquet. Drink now or soon. Lovely now.
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During a tasting "bring a bottle that is at least 25 years old". Dark crimson, brick rim. Aristocratic and cool nose of dark fruit, autumn leaves, tobacco, earth. Excellent presence on the palate, the tannins are in line with 88 which means a bit more rustic than in the best vintages but not disturbing. Make sure you order steak with this like we did and you will have a winner.
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Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): The nose here is surprisingly brutish and un-evolved with aromas of plum fruit and non-distinct earth/herb. Palate is medium body with substantial structure for the age. Brawny. I wonder if this needs more time or air.
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Monthly Tuesday group #009: 25 years or older. (By JWS): Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and cherries, vanilla, coffee and a touch of barnyard. On the palate a sweet start of ripe fruits, some mushrooms, earth and bell pepper. Beautiful acidity and soft tannin. The structure of this wine is very ok, but I wonder if this bottle was a 100% fresh. I scored the wine 90, but that could be a bit higher when the bottle is perfectly ok.
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The nose led with a generous dose of black cherry, licorice, and espresso. The palate wasn't quite as expressive at first, but given a little time in the glass, it was all there on the palate with the addition of cedar and tobacco, and although it came close, it never reached the heights of the nose. The tannins are gentle, and finish lingers with an herbaceousness. Fabulous with ribeyes and a terrific kickoff to my birthday week.
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Picked up a pristine bottle from Total Wine on my way home on a random Monday night. Perfect cork. Into neck fill. Decanted for 30 minutes and tasted over the course of 4 hours. Agree with MC2 that this is one to drink up as I can't see it getting better than it's showing now...and probably on a slight decline. Super Bordeaux funk and dark red fruit on the nose upon opening. Very enjoyable classic style dominated by cigar and leather. Great sense of terroir. The clean, slightly acidic finish that others have mentioned makes this a perfect wine to pair with something like grilled hanger steak (which is what we had that night). The terrific dark fruit and Bordeaux funk dominated the first two hours then mellowed in hour three where this became a bit lean...almost tart. Things settled down considerably in hour 4 and this became a very different wine. Would be interesting to see where this goes in a few years if you have the patience and willpower to hold on to a few bottles. Personally, I'll drink whatever I can get my hands on.
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Food (Network, Da Umberto) & Wine (Chelsea Market, Da Umberto): Time to drink this right up since it's prob end of drinking window. Direct, cigar box. This wine is my prototype for old Bordeaux. It's a bit more earth-dominated that I really like (but I skew new world so that's not saying much). Did think it was running a bit on fumes so wonder what it might have been a few years ago.
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Cork soaked right through with some signs of light leakage. Dull ruby throughout. Great aged Bordeaux nose. Came around after 1 hr. Initial attack is strong with good acidity and dried cherry fruit elements. Tannins fully revolved too the point you wanted a little kick on the backend. Shortish finish. Overall a nice mature Bordeaux that was only missing a stronger finish to garner more points for me.
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Excellent. Light-medium ruby with lighter edge. Classic (for me) Gruaud character with rich fragrance and round, soft balance. Red fruit with light tannins and noticeable acidity at the finish. Meaty notes. Has a bit more structure and is less opulent and open than the 1985. Exceptional to drink now; held well over 4 hours. Needed very short decant to open for business; this bottle needed 30-45 minutes in the decanter and time to warm from cellar temperature.
Medium - "full bodied, dark garnet colored, lively acidity with firm core of black berry fruits accented by tobacco, leather and hints of cassis with moderate tannins on the finish."
The bright cherry fruit and a layer of earthy black truffle and smoky meats were offset by the bright floral tones on the tangy lingering smooth tannin finish.
Great wine, getting ready to drink, but is still a little hard, a little closed, need to be aired a few hours in a carafe, archetypal red bordeaux, pencil, leather, tobaco, black currant
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The cork was soaked through, but the fill level was top shoulder. That's not bad for being bottled up for 25 years.
The color is, of course, garnet at the rim. The nose has elements of old cigar box, cedar and roasted meat. While the fruit is definitely fading (still there however), it is a delicious wine. It has berry fruit, black currents, lead pencil, and notes of forest floor. If you have some of this wine, I would pull the corks soon. Having said that, I don't consider this wine to be down the hill.
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Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: Not such a long note because the wine disappointed a bit. In both the bouquet as well as on the palate there were some common factors; a firm dose of beautiful oak and green (bell pepper) impressions. Firm acidity and slightly drying tannin with still some bite. Not as good as the previous times I tasted the wine.
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Cork soaked and disintegrated on removal. Strained and decanted. Purple, nose of cedar, cigar box. Still showing some fruit, but definitely into tertiary territory. Some overtones of eucalyptus. Well preserved older Bdx, but over the hill. Still enjoyable, but time to drink up.
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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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The second of a two bottle lot purchased on WineBid.com was corked. WineBid did not inspect the bottles or note the condition properly. WineBid did nothing to address the problem and I will never buy from WineBid ever again.
Not the way I wanted to open a bottle to celebrate the year I was married.
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Purchased a two bottle lot from WineBid to celebrate the year I was married. The condition of the bottles was misrepresented by WineBid, and I don't know how they could have missed the poor bottle condition. Corked and awful! What a way to celebrate my 27th anniversary tonight.
Popped and poured half bottle. Classic Gruaud here. Cordier funk, tobacco, and fruit. This bottle is at or near apogee and everything is in perfect harmony. Easy on the palate and well rounded. Drink now.
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The cork was soaked through and the fill level was mid to top shoulder, so I was concerned that the wine might not be good. However, it turned out to be very drinkable. But I do believe that it may not have been as good as it could have, so take that into account with my score.
The nose was somewhat reticent, but on the palate it had the usual cedar, lead pencil, forest floor and worn saddle leather. The tannins were very smooth.
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Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Typical for the vintage, slightly herbal nose; minerals, shy fruit, very structured, development ahead - I do not think that this will dry out.
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Cork saturated but intact. Modest bricking consistent with age. A hint of brett on the nose but not detected on the palate. Nicely balanced after 3 hour decant. Classic St Julien elements of leather and prunes. Slightly past its peak and a bit on the light side - more elegant than voluptuous. Paired well with beef Wellington and bordelaise sauce. A good example of the vintage in a traditional claret style. A nostalgic treat.
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Stored in cold cellar since release. Bottom neck. Cork broke but wine in perfect condition. Real St Julien. Medium bodied tending to the light side. Still red little brown. Good acidity and balance. Enjoyable but a touch disappointing. Just great. Yield or not enough selection? Was Sarget produced at this time? Not going to improve, Drink soon.
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Top shoulder fill, korken kom ut i 2 deler. Dyp mørk rød ugjennomsiktig kjerne med murstein kant. Aroma av kaffe, blyant, kamfer, lakris, mahogny, svak møbel polish. I munnen har den medium+ fylde, tydelig tannin og medium lengde. Denne flasken virker betydelig yngre enn den forrige flasken, flasker som denne vil antagelig utvikle seg positivt i 10+ år til og holde enda lengre. Ble drukket til entrecote av elg og det ble en ok match, kunne gjerne hatt en mer generøs vin til denne maten.
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Litt under top shoulder fill og noe lekkasje fra korken, dette gjorde at forventningene var lave. Disse ble gjort til skamme, vinen trengte faktisk en liten time med luft før den åpnet seg og utviklet seg positivt den neste timen. Aroma av kaffe, blyant, mokka, mahogny, altså en classic claret. Tanninene er fremdeles tilstede, men er godt avstemte. Myk meduim fyldig munnfølelse. God lengde. Topp moden eler litt over, så det er ingen grunn til å la disse ligge .Fungert meget godt til reinsdyrbiff, kantareller mm.
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Full bodied, dark garnet colored, lively acidity with firm core of black berry fruits accented by tobacco, leather and hints of cassis with moderate tannins on the finish.
God og moden duft av mørk/blå basert frukt, tobakk, blyerts og streif av krydder. Kraftig i munn med fin og integrert syre, saftig frukt og hint av oliver twist i en lang og pen utgang. Etter tjue min i karaffel sammler vinen seg til fordel for mer eleganse og mindre kraft i munn. Elegant bordeaux som drikker fint i dag.
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Classic Gruaud profile, dense and dirty, ready to drink. Decent aromatics, good weight, abbreviated finish. A solid but unspectacular effort from an average vintage.
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Nice example of well-aged Cordier wine. Still alive and kicking at 25, classic nose, palate lacks subtlety but is pleasant, medium to long finish. Had a bit of harshness on first pour which blew off in 15 mins or so. Consumed over the evening after a 1-hour wait (no decant). Never surprised or morphed into anything special, WYSIWYG wine but you do get a good companion from it.
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Carmine red with an orange rim. Beautiful bouquet; mature with earth, vanilla, smoke, graphite and sweet licorice. On the palate still juicy with some red fruits, silky soft tannin, some earth, bell pepper and white pepper. A classical mature, complex and refined wine. Completely ready now and probably wise not to wait much longer.
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French Tasting - Cepages Tasting Group (12th Street Osteria, New York City): White & Red French tasting with Rick, Dave & Alessandro at 12th St Osteria in NYC. 1st wine was Giroud Chambertin 2003: Ripe pinot showing it's age, looked older than it was. Some spice on the nose, ripe fruit too. Lots of ripe red cherries, wood, nothing memorable here. The wine was fairly one dimensional & a definite disappointment for all. Blame it on the hot vintage. This wine's fading fast.
Next up-Messorio 2001, which we drank blind. Lots of cedar, wood on the nose. Dark purplish color, looked to be the youngest of our wines today, modern style. Al pinned it as Italian. I thought it to be Calif. Everyone was shocked to discover it to be 100% merlot. I found it overly tannic and still very young, which interfered with my enjoyment of the wine. Great depth of fruit, blackberries and plums, pretty well integrated & complex wine. All liked it. I scored it a 93
#3 was the Charmes Chambertin Rousseau 1996. Pale redish brown in the glass, definitely showing its age. Lots of spice, barnyard, dirty socks, & overall tertiary notes on the nose. Classic mature burg nose. The wine was a shocker to me as I didn't expect much (this was my contribution), esp. after reading up on this wine. It still had great fruit, lots of spice, & forest floor with a certain musty complexity. Af first it seemed to fade in the glass, but then it came back strong with all the notes mentioned above. I scored it a 94; Al gave it a 98 and claimed this to be the essence of red burgundy. A surprisingly well-preserved and delicious bottle of wine.
No.4: GRUAUD LAROSE 1988: Deep red color, seemed very youthful still in the glass. Somewhat muted nose, but I detected dark fruits/plums. On palate, tannins have receded & integrated well into the juice, no real harsh edges here as this wine sometimes gives. Lots of plums, currant, good length. This wine has matured nicely, all its elements coming together into a very pleasant, if not overly complex mix. Never my favorite bdx but very much enjoyed this one to my pleasant surprise. I scored it 93
Finished with a 2000 Sine Qua Non Noble Man Viognier. Drank blind and no one could guess. Some thought a vin du pays or a tba. Rich amber color in the glass, honey and ripe apricots on the nose. Very viscous, very decadent. Rich apricots, hints of butterscotch, a very definite nuttiness, almonds, very vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable and a nice way to end a great afternoon lunch and tasting. 94 in my humble estimation.
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very dark red, dark berry, black current, tobacco, smokey with some earthy notes. dense fruit on palate, medium to full body, medium long finish. Still young with a long life ahead I think.
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Gruaud Larose Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Good structure, freshness and balance vs much of my recent experience with 1988 Bordeaux. Very pleasurable tonight, even if on the simple side.
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Slow Ox'ed over 3 hours then served from bottle at the restaurant. Black fruit, smoke and tar on the nose. Palate is quite dense with brambly black fruit and an intensely concentrated flint element. Still plenty of structure and acidity to stand with food. Very smooth mouthfeel, drinking really well right now, no need to wait. More concentrated and more secondary development than the last bottle.
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Colour showing its age, but classic' lovely St Julien and showing none of the often rather austere/tough 1988 edges. Lots of sweet ripe fruit, earthy/cedary, soft and long, A great bottle of Gruaud and will be good for a while yet...
2nd bottle April 2014 not quite as good, and showing some vegetal signs of old age, but still classic and I guess about 91/100
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Decanted about 90 minutes, and it was drinking extremely well. I was very impressed with this wine. Beautiful nose, with plenty of tobacco and leather, some deep blue fruit, and some fig. Tannins are smooth an well-integrated, soft. Prunes and more figs on the palate. Yum.
Decanted 3 hours. Amazing nose of old leather, tobacco and with a hint of pepper. Nose vanished towards the end of the meal ie about 4 hrs after decanting. Never having drunk 1988 Gruaud Larose before I have no benchmark against which to set this wine; that said excellent flavours of old herbs, grass, pencil shavings and dry grass - an antiquarian bookshop of a wine !
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Fully on its plateau: beautifully scented, benchmark Left Bank, streamlined, complex and elegant from front to back; fully integrated and harmonious. Poised.
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Noch kein Alter zeigender Wein, welcher viel Luft braucht. Mittlere Ordentlicher Cordier Stinker (Bret) mit Struktur, viel Leder und Bodennoten. Mir hat er gefallen!
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Respi-aerate to decanter, let sit about 45 min. Cork 3/4 saturated, bottom tip broke off. Color garnet with lots of dark hues in the center, mild bricking at the rim. Complex effusive bouquet of fresh dry earth, tobacco, brick dust, barnyard, salty minerals, crushed tomatoes, tar, and blackerries. On the palate, sour cherries and black currants densely adorned with earth, tobacco, iron minerality, and a little tar. Medium-plus acid and full earthy tannins are on their way to full integration and not as daunting as I expected. Medium length finish of tart black fruit and tobacco flavors stretch into an extended aftertaste of earthy minerals. Outstanding, but I could imagine it being better with greater depth of fruit and a longer finish - looking forward to the '86. Can go another ten years or more, depending on your preference for level of fruit intensity and freshness to offset the earth and minerals. Excellent value for 45 USD paid in '94.
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The same elements as the '85 we had earlier in the night - bright red fruit, tobacco and Cordier funk, but not showing the same depth or power as the '85 did, with the tannin making it feel a bit more austere. Very enjoyable with some air, though a bit disappointing given my expectations for mid 80s Gruauds.
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Gruaud Larose at The Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): Lovely, earthy, spicy black fruited nose, hints of cedar and leather. Medium bodied, fresh and appetising claret with lovely acidity and attractive developed, spicy flavours. Not particularly deep or long, but very appetising. ****
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The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the next five hours. A ruby-red core, with some amber at the rim. An outrageously expressive bouquet, offering up complex notes of smoky black fruits, black truffle, tobacco and a hint of wild animal. Medium-bodied, with good grip, a pleasant texture, and long finish. Faded over time in the glass, so I'd suggest to drink this in the short-term.
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Nose is earthy with hints of blackcurrent, blackberries, smoke, cedar and cigarbox. In the mouth, it's definitely more on the mineral side with leather, autumn forest and cigarboxgfragrance. Fruit flavours are nice and ripe, but tertiary aromas and minerality tend to dominate. Tanins have been rounded by time and provide a good backbone. This wine is definitely nice and classic. It reminds you that you should not be in a hurry to drink classic clarets.
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Nose : graphite, blackcurrent, blackberry, tobacco and a distinctive smokyness. In the mouth, like many 88, the fruit, although pure, do not have the same degree of ripeness as 1988. The wine is more on the mineral side with a complex palette of autumn forest fragrance, graphite and a smoky character. The long finales has hints of caramel.
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Tasted in single-blind fashion at a St. Julien theme tasting. The bottle was kindly provided by Mike Christensen. Deep garnet/amber in color. Very intense, pleasant bouquet of plum, leather, earth and (yes) pomegranate. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, melted tannins and a silky mouth texture. The flavors follow the nose and the finish is medium-to-long (and quite smooth). Very nice. Drink now-12/15.
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Nose of cassis, cedar and blackberry. Dark purple, no bricking. Smooth on the palate, tannins fully integrated and soft. Blackberry and dark fruits on the palate. Acid present, but not obtrusive. Medium finish.
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Eldon Dumps His Bordeaux (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): Nose of cedar and pencil lead with a bit of heat. Big and surprisingly juicy with very strong tannins. Bit round and showing more cedary redwood notes. This evened out some later on and became very nice classic aged Cabernet.
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My last bottle of a case. and like all the others, with a saturated cork. A bit of barnyard with dark fruits, leather, oak and just slightly thin. Tannins still showing and with a lingering, dry finish. Classic bordeaux and quite enjoyable.
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Decanted 1.5 hours. Cork soaked to the top. Opaque, mature garnet color with only a hint of brown. Very complex, well-balanced nose of hot iron, tar, cedar, red fruit, loam and that tell-tale barnyard-like funk of Gruaud. Silky and full on the palate with resolved tannin and good acidity. Very ripe and fresh, perhaps the best of an '88 I've had. Moderate, earthy finish. All in all, an excellent bottle of wine, particularly in light of the vintage. The only thing that kept it from being stellar was a lack of elegance, but then again, this is Gruaud, and it more than makes up for that lack with its sheer density and richness.
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Drank at Park ($8 corkage and $5 burger night, nice!). Nose of some pencil shavings, definite barnyard, some menthol, deep fruits in the background. Palate was classically structured with supple, silky mouthfeel, and just enough delightfully sweet fruit to balance the fine-grained tannins lingering on the finish. Very bordeaux, not necessarily very St. Julien though. Quite nice.
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Another saturated cork, but wine was unaffected. A duplicate of the bottle I opened back in January and maybe even a bit smoother. I keep thinking it is going to go over the hill - but not yet. A classic aged Bordeaux and drinking nicely.
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The nose on this wine was extremely good. really "bordeaux like". The mouth feel was ore tanic than I would have expected from the nose. Still a very nice wine.
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Another bottle where the cork was saturated - but unlike the prior bottle, it was not oxidized. Typical Gruaud nose with some barnyard along with very dark berry fruit and some oak and earth. Dark berry fruit on the palate with a lot of drying tannins and a good bit of acidity. Medium bodied with a lean mouthfeel and a slightly tart finish. Just barely enough fruit left to balance the tannins. It is not improving - need to drink up.
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I have enjoyed many bottles of this wine, and this was the best yet. Popped and poured - cork was saturated, but intact. Missing the typical Gruaud barnyard aroma and with a lot more fruit than in prior bottles. Blackberry and blueberry fruit with spice and some pepper in the background. Medium bodied with an elegant mouthfeel, good acidity and drying tannins. Really tasty.
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drinking well...consumed with 88 CA cab from Justin...no comparision as you might expect 20 years had done in the Cal cab for the most part. Larose was solid for an average year...solid acidity and tannins (maybe a bit rough/dry but enjoyed) with good secondary flavors. Should be around for a few more years
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I have enjoyed many bottles of this wine -- and have had very consistent notes. This one had a fairly saturated cork, but it did not seem to have affected the wine. Dark fruit flavors that are a bit flat with a lean, almost elegant, mouth feel. Slightly dry and slightly acidic. Fully mature, I will drink up my remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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Deep ruby color. Bloody Mary nose with some tobacco and herbal components. A bit hard on the palate at first. Given about an hour of air it opened a bit more, still somewhat flat, with resolved tannins.
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Tasted next to a 1989 Beychevelle. The Larose came off a little more fresh and complex in comparison. Pretty nose of blueberry reduction, lead pencil and vanilla. Nice body weight with more blueberry, plums and earth. Tannins are there, but just enough to help cut through my lamb. Drinking really well right now so I would check in on one if you have it.
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Cork was not saturated thoughout as others experience but was dry and brittle at the top, however the wine was not spoiled. Decanted for about two hours and could have used even more time. Barnyard nose with some fruit holding on the palate. Acidity in balance. Nice experience.
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This last bottle of four, first two completely corked and third one very good, had stayed intact and was drinkable but not as good as the third bottle hence the lower score. Definitely past peak. Barnyard nose did improved with aeration in glass and I suspect would disappear fairly rapidly completely with proper decanting. Dark purple, good mouthfeel and significant aftertaste but overall just flatter then previous bottle. Bouquet initially barnyard with weak black- and blueberries and some oak. Remained smooth and well integrated with almost completely disappeared fruit and still very well structured tannins. Primary flavors included terroir, washed out black- and blueberry flavor, oak with some smoke and white pepper on aftertaste. Even on this good bottle the cork was completely soaked through. Recommend drinking holdings now and a rather protracted decant.
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First two of four bottles totally corked, this third one good and will open the fourth one soon. Drank filtered but not decanted with Bill while playing pool and significantly improved with aeration and time in glass so strongly recommend decanting. Very good, very mature, drink holdings now as fruit beginning to disappear and probably at or maybe slightly past peak. Heavy barnyard nose which improved significantly with aeration in glass and I suspect would disappear fairly rapidly completely with proper decanting. Dark purple, good mouthfeel and significant aftertaste. Bouquet initially barnyard with heavy bret presence as noted above, as this blew off nose primarily consisted of somewhat weak black- and blueberries and some oak. Very smooth and well integrated with disappearing fruit and still very well structured tannins. Primary flavors included terroir, black- and blueberries, oak, some smoke on aftertaste and overall very elegant as it opened up. Even on this good bottle the cork was soaked all the way, the cork just crumbled on the first two bottles. Recommned drinking holdings now and a rather protracted decant.
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Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Just a little horsey on the nose but doesn't detract really from the wine giving way to some notes of thistle, berries and some other subdued florals. Flavors of red berries and red cherries on the palate. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full body. Drink over the short term.
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Definite barnyard, ready to drink. Improved with an hour of air and better with two. Mature and felt it was going over the edge at first. The air time helped. Ulage was high , however cork was soaked all the way. I noticed other comments with soaked corks (humm). I'm afraid to let the rest of the bottle age.
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Lunch Hawksmoor-lovely lightish purple color starting to brick a bit...earthy nose and with a little coaxing some dark red fruits. lovely drink, a bit acidic and some good barney flavors, very dry tanins, rally god with fat steak
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Nice bottle. Mature, classic St. Julien nose, smokey, somewhat earthy dark fruit. Rich on palate but ends with a slightly green, cab franc center. Very pleasant, good mature bdx.
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Typical Gruaud Larose -- earthy, barnyard nose, although less prominent than some other vintages. The nose quickly changed to a muted black berry with some earthy undertones. Wine is ruby edged with a light to medium body - leaves an impression of elegance. More fruit than I expected from an '88. Slightly acidic/dry, but not enough to be out of balance. Very enjoyable and fully mature. Great with a grilled steak.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Dark, only slight maturity detected. Muted nose. Medium bodied towards the lighter side. Medium finish, still some tannins and good acidity. Did not give much. Opened up after 5 hours and became sweeter and fuller, but far from a heavyweight. Half a glass was left in the bottle, and it was just as good the next day. Classic claret. Now-2025 (in a good cellar)
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Only great bottles, and this one was pristine with a snug cork and nice ullage. Now coming on 20, but still a nice youthful color. Touch of brett and leather on the nose. I notice a little more acid in this, enough to get the juices flowing, but certainly well-proportioned. Among the better '88's and still has a future.
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Bought to Dinner by Tim & Sarah, no formal note, decanted half an hour in advance. Lovely, inviting, complex nose, deep and spicy with tobacco and underlying bilberry and cassis fruit, hints of earth, promises much. Medium bodied on the palate with fully integrated tannins and balanced acidity, although lacks depth and the finish falls away a little - whilst still enjoyable in truth a little disappointing after the stunning nose.
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Popped and poured. Medium garnet, hint of orange and clear at the rim. Nose of barnyard, leather and hanging meat. Some smoke as well. Blackberry, cedar and pencil lead. Tannins seem fully integrated, not noticeable. Medium, finish. A little clove developing on the nose as it sits in the glass. I don't think this will get better, so time to drink up.
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Decanted for 20 minutes. Strong aromas reminiscent of a manure pile outside a horse barn. Flavors of wet straw and earthiness on the tongue. Smooth and refined tannins. Past it prime or a bad bottle, but not cork tainted. Still a drinkable claret.
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Rosh Hashanah with big family. Decanted for 30 minutes. Dark red color, but still vivid. Nose a bit muted, with woods and violets. Classic Bordeaux balance, with lots of fruit and integrated tannin. Tobacco is the primary note, joined by cherries, currants and cedar. Still youthful and elegant, but probably reaching its peak.
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Cork was leaking but could not discern any damage. Very enjoyable aged wine. reminiscent of a fine barolo. Had it by itself but would have been better with food. Very refined
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Dinner at my house with Jeff Chen. We were looking for an earthy aged Bordeaux an settled on this. No tasting note, but I do recall this bottle not measuring up to previous tastings. I think the bottle was less than an ideal example.
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Decanted for 90 minutes. Nose of cocoa, coffee, tobacco. Tasting just a little fruit left, but elegant and rounded, with a powerful flavor of cut cigar. Drink now.
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Only great bottles, and mama this was one. Easily the best showing for me yet on this bottling (which I've probably had a dozen times). Full, round, everything in place. If they were all like this one, I'd back up the truck at this price point.
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Decanted 1 hour. Initial nose in the glass has elements of funk, barnyard. After 1/2 hour, becomes much more classical cedar and lead pencil. Color is clear, dark ruby, letting light through but a rich red color. Medium body on the mid palate, with tobacco, black cherry, raspberry fruit. Stll some drying tannins balanced with fruit and acidity and a long, long finish, with hints of clove. Detecting a little Band-Aid at the finish. Will check back and any additional thoughts after dinner. AFter two hours, fruit continued to assert, black cherry predominently. Wine smoothed out and is drinking beautifully now.
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Did not decant this, just popped the bottle and poured a glass, then drank a few hours later. Surprsingly open, with lots of violets, tobacco, black cherry. Great perfume, very silky mouthfeel with firm tannins. Seemed at peak with all the components in balance. I think this will easily last for another 5 years, but I am not sure about RP's drinking window of 18 years more.
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My experience with the '88 vintage has been mixed. In a number of cases, the dusty and aggressive tannins have overshadowed the other elements, so that even heralded chateaux like Cos D'Estournel and Mouton have been disappointing when tasted in the past few years. This Gruaud was a welcome exception, brought by a friend to dinner last night. Couldn't get a fix on the color in the dim restaurant light, but it had a lovely mature nose of ripe fruit, tobacco and graphite with flavors to match. Very feminine in texture, which surprised me given the history above. Almost delicate, I probably would have guessed Margaux instead of St. Julien. One to look for at auction.
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Serious Brett/Cordier funk on this one, and I can see where those who don't tolerate much wouldn't be crazy about this bottle. Goes to the edge for me, but pulls back just enough with some air to keep me involved. A good (not great) claret.
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i found this bottle delicious. still a bit tannic on the backend (did decant for about 1 hour), but had a wonderful nose of casis, blackberry and lead pencil. thought it drank beautiful...
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Best showing of the three of four consumed. Note to self: Hold out another couple years before drinking the last bottle...
Nice nose of Bordeaux cedar and tobacco. Fruit and leather on the palate with full mid-palate. Great finish. No decanting and with very little sediment in the bottle. The bottle was opened about two hours prior to serving and was enjoyed for another hour and a half with grilled Porterhouse steaks.
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Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Drank over 1.5 hours. Excellent acidity. not much concentration. Mushrooms and graphite with hints of cedar. Some bandaid flavor. Great nose. An enjoyable bottle.
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Youthful, enormous complex. In perfect harmony. Definitely at its peak now and staying like that for several years more. It was the winner this evening beside Cos d'Estournel 1986 and 1986 Château Léoville Las Cases.
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Initially somewhat closed, it opened up beautifully about one and a half hours after decanting. Dark brick red color. Tobacco, mushroom, leather and graphite on the nose. Smooth and silky on the palate with perfectly integrated tannins and a medium long finish. Probably still has a long life ahead.
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Spectacular. We opened this at a wine tasting party. We had about 8 bottles that evening, and it came down to this and a "95 Silver Oak. My preference was this. Rich dark fruit flavors layered with nice earthiness and subtle oak or cedar. Tannins were very well integrated. It had been a while since I had a nicely aged bordeau, and this reminded me of why we lay them down.
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Deep dark ruby red, almost somber black Good nose, not much fruit but with ’noblesse’ Good taste most hard tannines gone, round taste with some ’integrated’ fruits, long after taste
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Last bottle. From the others, I thought it was probably time to consume, and it probably was. Elegant, definitely best within the first hour or so when there was a subtly layered, tobocco-ey, flowery, leathery thing going on. Decanted, which I didn't do with the last bottle, and it deifnitely was a good move. Muted tannins. This wine won't knock you over, and I personally think it may be a few years past its prime, but if someone offers me some in six months I won't turn it down.
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Dark ruby color gives way to lovely aromas of cedar, ash, gravel with a core of bright cherries and a medium finish. Fully mature IMO. Just delicious with Chateaubriand. Thanks for sharing Nancy D! I am just surprised at the variable notes on CT. Nancy's bottle was impeccable.
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My experience with my second bottle most closely aligns with Gregg's comments of 5/14/05 on Cellar Tracker!
This 17-year old Bordeax has a bit of funk upon opening that is hard to describe. Definite earthy quality for that funk, but it seems to dissipate after a half hour or so. There is the leather and tobacco with a bit of medium red fruit on the palate. I wouldn't venture into the dark fruit zone. The earth and leather are more forward than the fruit. The tannins are resolving, but can still stand up to a meat course, such as steak or veal chop. This wine is not a fruit bomb. If that is your style, move on!
This is a very enjoyable bottle of wine to enjoy with a nice meal and good friends.
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Opened not decanted. This is bottle #2; first one was two nights ago, no notes made due to company present. A light red with rust color and clarity to the edge of the glass. A slight bite, which is surprising for the age, and a sour cherry smell. There is a slight taste which disappears of wet fur or feathers(!). Hoping it would have been better but it comes up average to mediocre.
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Smelling the open bottle rich leather and dark cherry aromas gently waft into the nostrils. The color is pale ruby red with clear bricking. The aroma is soft, deft and mature with old leather and bitter cherry notes. The wine is medium-bodied and clearly at its plateau with little complexity but it is drinking well. The fruit is fading but still there, the tannins are fully resolved, and the finish is a little sour but not tart or acidic in any way. A fully mature, elegant wine.
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I just don't get it ... I bought two of these about three months ago, and they smell/taste/look the same. I think this wine sucks. :(
Brownish-red, lightening to the edge. Upon opening, lovely nose of sweet cherries, but after 15 minutes the nose has dwindled to a little barnyard, and mostly leather. On the palate, a gone-before-you-know-it taste of sweet fruit, then a fairly concentrated midpalate of leather and wood, with a decent finish with more of the leather. There's a slight bit of red fruit trying to peek out, but it's not able to get the job done. Yuck. This might have been good and complex, if tannic, a couple of years ago. I know others are saying this is still drinking well, but caveat emptor.
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This wine is drinking very well right now, i don't think it's over the hill, and will continue in this state for a bit of a while. Dark red in color with bricking on the edge, it's still an rather opaque wine. The fruit, although present, is a bit more subdued than i would have liked, making it slightly out of balance. Less of the signature Gruaud barn brett style as other vintages, like the 89, but I get dark cherries, tobacco, spice, cedar. Slightly thin and metallic nose, but a nice finish of medium length that lingers on the palette. Tasted over the course of four hours, it was very consistent throughout and continued to develop favorably until the end.
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Wonderful wine showing fantastic aromas of black currants, star anise, dark cherries, spice, and cedar. Flavors of currant and cherries with some tobacco follow on the palate where the tannins are still present. This wine is my first experience with aged Bordeaux and I thought this wine was exceptional (but what do I know?)
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There have been a lot of notes on this wine, thanks to another re-release. There seems to be two camps here, one that finds this wine over the hill, fading and absent of fruit; and the other, showing complexity, maturity and elegance. If I had to pick, I would say the consensus seemed to be more in line with the later view. The wine clearly showed some musty, leather aromas with some currant and secondary nuances. The flavors continue on the palate with some additional unresolved tannins. Yes, the tannins are still present and perhaps will completely integrate with time, but it was not a problem at all. In fact, it seemed to add to the structure. The wine still had very little rough edges and the finish was medium in length, drying out just a bit on the finish.
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Absolutely delightful. Color was a nice dark purple with pink edges. Great nose of currant, pencil shavings, and some black cherry. Perhaps a hint of chocolate. Medium bodied and fully integrated tannins. No sharp edges on this elegant lady. My only beef is that the finish was much too short. I think this can go another year or two, but I wouldn't wait as I don't see much room for improvement.
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Not a lot of fruit, but still nice - better, in fact, than we remembered from a few months ago. Still think this is for drinking now, but it definitely has retained an elegance and a subtle intensity.
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Black, lightening to ruby at the rim. Nice fruit on the nose upon opening, but quickly faded to leather and barnyard. On the palate, an initial sweetness on the tip of the tongue, but again fades to nothing but woody/leathery tannin. Interesting, but not tasty; over the hill.
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Lovely upon opening... nice fruit and just the right amount of Bordeaux "dirt" in the tasting. However, faded quickly. I have 5 more bottles. I won't wait much longer to consume. 91 points
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Elegant, I would say maybe even a little over the hill -- have two more bottles and will not make a point to hold on to them. That said, this was very nice. Not a lot of fruit left, but very soft, muted tobacco, earth flavors. Maybe not worth quite what I paid for it, but still nice, and am looking forward to the other two bottles.
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The wine is at peak now. The primary fruit is gone and what's left is simply wine, in the best sense. A strong tannic streak remains so there's no rush to drink. The flavor profile resembled a Pauillac as much as it did a St. Julien. Pristine bottles at the current market price of $55 would be attractive.
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Decanted for sediment. Deep garnet in the glass, clear rim. Dark nose of licorice, fruit, and earth. The palate follows the nose with a trace of tannin in the moderate finish. Thick mouth feel, good balance and nice density. Not as much power or complexity as the 90 consumed recently. Solid, well made, and enjoyable now, should hold for quite a while.
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I was clearly not as far gone as Eric at the point at which we tasted this, because I made a note to buy some if I could get my hands on it. So it is the next bottle that we shall drink when we get together next for dinner, and will then post notes on the tasting
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($100) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Lighter than its cohorts with more clear at the rim and a tawny touch. Funky mushrooms, truffles, and raspberry in the nose. Brisk acids, medium body. Harsh finish. Somewhat lean and thin. From magnum.
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1988 Bordeaux 5 Reds at Primas. was the most expensive at $38 and easily the best wine with a nice hint of tobacco, musty, along with lots of soft tannins and acid for long term cellaring, well balanced with a medium/long pleasant finish. First place.
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1988 Bordeaux Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Closed nose but nice fruit-licorice, tobacco, cedar, and black berry, too much acid, needs time to peak. My #2 and Group #5.
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4/19/2024 - magnord Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rubinröd, läderkant med tydlig uttunning.
Stallet igen! Klar frukt, mossa, höstlöv, en tjusig cigarrlåda, gammal brun syltad jordgubbe, lakritsrot, tobak, kafferost. En fascinerande och vacker mogen bordeaux-näsa.
Nedsmält frukt, mjuka tanniner, smakrik, lite te och citrongräs, lite japanska kryddor, många lager här.
Mogen bordeaux FTW!
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3/26/2024 - The Wine Monkeys Likes this wine: 88 Points
1988 Gruaud Larose shows a little brett and was quite hot/boozy at first blush. Tart cherry, earth, pepper, caramel, and smoke round out the nose with a tannic dark chocolate finish. Overall, not bad but lacked a bit of depth and complexity in our opinion. Asture, old school Bordeaux.
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3/21/2024 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Bought on auction recently. Filled bottom neck. Cork almost completely soaked, but no seepage. Medium to dark garnet colour, some sediment. Dark fruit, vegetal/herbaceous notes, cedar, tobacco, earth, spices, and smoke, with medium-level acidity, fully resolved tannin, and good length. Very earthy. Medium-bodied, medium-complex, smoothly textured and well balanced. Consistent on day two. Fully mature, drink now.
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11/30/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 90 Points
The first ever bottle in our 11 bottle line-up, after my Triple Zero aperitif, was JY's. Thanks for sharing this first of two Saint-Julien 1988s at LF's birthday party. As it was Bordecmbre, I added a Rausan-Segla 1988 as the next bottle too!
Nose of faint red fruit with hints of funk and earth, very well integrated tannins, and that appearance of medium-garnet with a brownish rim. This was obviously aged, and I guessed.. Left Bank 1988. I thought it was not a Margaux nor a Pauillac.. Bingo!
Palate of leather, oak and blackcurrant too. Smooth mouthfeel, and much of the fruit has given way to secondaries. This has truly softened with its tannins at medium-, but still has depth and complexity. I would class this as an old-school Saint Julien!
As this continued to air in my glass, I found the tannins to be slightly chewy. The finish remained long though! Acidity medium, giving this some brightness and once again.. Another Bordeaux in our line-up which clearly demonstrated longevity.
Some research on the vintage of 1988 at Saint-Julien showed that the season was marked by certain contrasts: winter and spring very humid and hot, summer dry and moderately hot.
Bud burst was observed a week in advance. Rapid and regular flowering. Maturation evolved normally (July averagely warm and humid; August dry, a little hot).
Heavy winter and spring rain (from November to end of June), followed by severe drought from mid-July. August and September marked by little rain, yet no water stress. Temperatures close to normal.
A few days before harvest, the sugar content and acidity resembled those of the recent good vintages. The skins were very thick, and exceptionally rich in colouring matter and tannins.
Overall, I would recommend drinking up, as there is now little upside from here. It is likely to be towards the end of its optimal drinking plateau... Wonderful stuff!
Maillard Grill, KL, Malaysia
30th Nov 2023
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9/14/2023 - blanquito wrote:
Lovely, smooth, integrated Bordeaux drinking at its peak. This lacks the depth and fruit of its greatest wines in the 80's (82, 85, 86), but is otherwise it is wonderful in a lighter, gentler style. Shows some mild Cordier funk with a silky, resolved palate with nice depth. Fully mature, lovely. 92-93 pts.
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9/9/2023 - jdlee1232 wrote: 92 Points
Sadly, this bottle as well past its prime
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8/3/2023 - Rani Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted blind. Opaque dark ruby. Huge nose of graphite and barnyard. Immensely concentrated yet elegant. I thought it was the 1986. This is unbelievably good and a textbook powerful left bank.
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7/1/2023 - @robin Likes this wine:
(1988) Medium purple colour with visible tawny rim. Pronounced nose of mushroom, earthy, leather, tobacco, oak, soya sauce and blackcurrant.
Dry, medium- tannins, acidity and low alcohol (12.5% ABV). Medium bodied with medium+ finish.
Excellent aged wine to drink now but don’t aged much further, limited upside is my view.
Revisiting after a few months, pretty consistent.
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3/17/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 88 Points
A late night last minute decision to open this one and it surely suffered by lack of air time. The barnyard funk (and I like a good funk) on the nose was thick enough to require a shovel! But yet beneath it enjoyable leather, mushroom, etc. Would really have liked to have this one with a steak and 3-4 hours of air behind it. Thanks for extending the opportunity to taste this one, Ken. Much appreciated!
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3/6/2023 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
At One Kitchen at One Hotel in Hanalei...moldy cap w/saturated cork pre-filtered and decanted briefly in advance. At table decanted ~1 hour ahead of Aussie Wagyu Tomahawk shared entree. Early 35th 'meetversary' celebration, this wine was remarkably alive with fruit and acid, complemented by tertiary tobacco-leather on a smooth textured finish. Not a lot of experience with 30+ yr Brdx but this seemed surprisingly delicious, @Robin's TN on point.
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12/24/2022 - Aptosc6 Likes this wine: 88 Points
From a magnum. Brown/garnet body, orange rim.
Nose of tar and old leather with dried fruit.
Bright up front acid mixed with old cabernet. Medium weight in the mouth finishing with soft tannins.
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12/18/2022 - @robin Likes this wine: 91 Points
2022 World Cup Final Argentina vs France! Pre-match bottle to remember.
(1988) Medium garnet with an edge of Tawny. Med+ nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, undergrowth, tobacco, leather and cedar. Dry, med acidity, med+ grippy tannin and med alcohol. Full bodied while mellowed, med+ intensity and finish.
Drink now and enjoy, no need for further ageing after 34 years! Although I’m sure can last for another 2-3 years more, let’s find out.
63% Cab Sav, 25% Merlot, 9% Cab Franc & 3% Petit Verdot.
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12/3/2022 - WindFlyer wrote: 90 Points
left-bank Bordeaux tasting – six wines/six vintages (K&L Redwood City): dark in the middle with some bricking on the rim and funk on the nose. quite a bit of funk… that does let blackberry and plum fruit aromas to come thru, but nearly drowns the herbal and tea notes. medium- to full-bodied in the mouth with a tangy, aged tone to the fruit and tannins that are still firm. there is good balance between secondary and tertiary flavours and the wine still has an energy that somewhat masks its thirty-five years. peppery and spice twist to the finish.
interesting window into an older style of Bordeaux.
57% Cab Sauv/ 31% Merlot/ 7% Cab Franc/ 2% Malbec
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7/2/2022 - Rugan wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine. Length, depth and layers. Velvety. Fine notes of leather and earthy tones, notes of dark fruit.
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4/23/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 92 Points
Just below base neck fill. Popped and poured, but finished on night two. I adore the '88 vintage in Bordeaux and it is one of my all-time favorites, at least among the better wines. Gruaud Larose overachieved in the '80s and even '70s, and this is another excellent GL. This has a rustic and very savory nose, with leather, tobacco, sous bois, anise and brambly black fruit. Some cassis, black olive and game notes on the palate, with lively acidity and smooth but slightly woodsy tannins. This is excellent and drinking at its peak.
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12/15/2021 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Bordeaux, St. Julien: Beautiful, complex and mature bouquet with forest floor, oak, dark berries, herbs and spices and some toast. Very luxurious and an enormous depth. Same on the palate, red berries, vanilla, tobacco, cedar. An explosion in the mouth. Beautiful acidity and mature tannin. Extraordinary and fantastic wine which is in a perfect drinking stage now.
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5/20/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Not as delicious as the bottle we had a few weeks ago which was disappointing. This was a bit thinner and more austere. Still reasonable aged Bordeaux. More secondary than anything.
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3/27/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
I'd never been that impressed with this producer and then someone told me I needed to focus on the pre-1990 bottlings and since then I've found lots to like. This was no different. It was opened and decanted for sediment and then rebottled and brought for outdoor drinking with some new friends. Drank side by side with a '96 Spring Mountain and interesting to see how very prototypical both were. This was old school bordeaux. Drinking very well. More leather and earthy and a big of cigar. Very tasty. I might have preferred this by a hair, but both were excellent.
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3/22/2021 - ove_stammrud wrote:
Salig og trygg duft som gir følelsen av å lande. Tilbakelent nå. Lagvis aromaer av klassiske toner som blåbær, furugulv, sedertre, søttobakk og krydder. God harmoni mellom det sur/søte i munn, frukten er frisk med hint av moreller og et drag av livlig syre. Voksen utgang med subtile tanniner, finesse og ømhet. En generøs vin som i dette tilfelle er ferdig modnet. Siste flaske av denne fra kjelleren.
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12/31/2020 - _Alex_ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Utviklet og kompleks med fuktig pipetobakk, kaffe, veldig moden frukt og hint av gammel kjeller i aroma. Behagelige tertiære toner.
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6/26/2020 - affordableCollector wrote: 90 Points
cassis, brett, horse ranch, cigar box, leather, smoke. tannins holding the wine together.
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6/23/2020 - msauer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fast so gut wie /zuvor) Lagrange 1989
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4/21/2020 - DaleW wrote:
Black fruit, still a bit of tannin, a little barnyard and a lot of leather. Good acids, nose develops some cigarbox and fruit fills out, pretty satisfyingly classic if not a showstopper. B+
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3/25/2020 - Markus IWC wrote:
92 points Wine Spectator
This tight and powerful red has lots of tannin and fruit concentration. Full-bodied, with lovely violet and berry aromas and flavors. Built for aging.--1988 Bordeaux horizontal. Best after 2002. (11/1998)
Robert Parker\'s Wine Advocate
Dark plum/garnet, with a powerful nose of licorice, roasted meats, smoke, and sweet berry and black currant flavors, this medium-bodied, relatively austere but robust and concentrated Gruaud-Larose still seems like a young wine, and possibly will be longer-lived than its more renowned sibling, the 1989. There is an earthiness and underlying streak of herbaceousness, but there is plenty of depth, concentration, and power to this somewhat burly Gruaud-Larose. Anticipated maturity: Now-2025. (RP) (1/2003)
K&L Notes
Neal Martin: "Tasted at The Ledbury Gruaud Larose lunch, the 1988 is a commendable wine from the estate. It takes time to unfurl on the nose, so afford bottles say one-hour of decanting. It eventually offers dusty red fruit, fireside hearth and just a soupcon of cherry liqueur that disappears and is replaced by truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of hardness on the entry. Certainly, in keeping with the vintage it is more austere than the 1989, but it has a lovely tobacco-infused finish that shows good length, if not astounding complexity. Very fine. Tasted June 2011." (Wine Journal, eRobertParker.com, 1/2012)
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2/1/2020 - VAGentleman wrote: 91 Points
Showing it maturity. Would drink soon. Currants over leather, trace of forest. Not very complex but enough to be satisfying.
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1/18/2020 - Kris5002 wrote:
Cork almost destroyed, nice old Bordeaux, but didn't give me any wow-feeling, which I almost expect for that price. But I think 86 maybe isn't the best year, as 88 cost ALOT more to buy now
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1/9/2020 - andy C Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had wine at monthly wine dinner with wines 14% or less alcohol, won WOTN. Drinking silky smooth for 32 years in the bottle. Showed a lot of fruit and a wonderful nose. Opened but did not decant 3 hours before drinking.
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1/2/2020 - Sacramento Geezer wrote: 95 Points
Recorked au Chateau in 2001 for Fine Wines International. Opened midday and decanted one hour before dinner. Minimal sediment. Slight funk in aroma. Drank deliciously. Elegant and aristocratic at this age. Minimal tannin. This bottle seemed to have a few years left but no reason to hold off.
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12/8/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Better on the earthy, tobacco leaf, cedar, leafy, cigar box and red berry nose than on the herbal, peppery, medium/full-bodied, strict, sharp, crisp, crunchy, cranberry and cassis palate. This will probably score higher for those that prefer, old-school Bordeaux.
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10/19/2019 - Oskiwawa wrote:
opened and let breathe in the bottle for 6 hours. Cork completed saturated. Nice mature flavor profile with minimal Gruaud funk. Based upon this bottle I would drink this up if I had more
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10/18/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout with a slight, tiny meniscus at the rim. Nose of tobacco, herbs du Provence and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and raspberries. Tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean toward drink.
Madison offline
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10/18/2019 - petitblanc wrote:
Madison Offline 2019; 10/18/2019-10/19/2019: No detailed notes taken. This was a pleasant surprise. Beautiful mature ruby-garnet in the glass. Very little of the expected barnyard funk here, simple and clean, just a bit thin and warm. Not scored.
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10/4/2019 - DaleW wrote:
I’ve had a bunch of these, but this didn’t have Zachys (where I bought mine) barcode sticker, and I think might have been a gift at some point. Pretty saturated cork. Doesn’t explicitly taste cookedbut softer and less dense than used to, the usual Cordier funk is more pronounced. Maybe seen some warmth at some point? B- for this bottle
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9/18/2019 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Luis "Bring a good bottle" - Pinot and Bordeaux (Kenwood): To me, this was a beautiful aged Bordeaux that was drinking perfectly. I did not expect it to deliver as much as it did. The palate measured up almost completely to the nose, which is rare. Silky, with complex Bordeaux characteristics, the fruit is still present, long finish.
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9/12/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a small glass over an hour. Geez, this was a super bottle. The nose just oozes pencil shavings, moss, soil, dank basement, and a lovely floral perfume and mixed dried berries. The palate also oozes the pencil notes, tobacco leaf, wood spice, dried dark berries, funk and cassis notes. Long and resolved with just a note of blue fruit. Lovely, mature Bordeaux from a classic producer. Love this. Plenty left here.
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9/6/2019 - Raizes Likes this wine: 89 Points
雪松和雪茄盒的香气为主，黑醋栗和李子的果味已经不多。单宁陈年后的细腻度还不错，但能感觉出一点点成熟度的不足，和较高的酸度搭配后出现消瘦的感觉。
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6/16/2019 - Caciolo wrote: flawed
Corked
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3/12/2019 - ove_stammrud wrote:
En klassisk, fortsatt frisk og livlig 88`er. Lær, plomme, jord og tobbaksblader. Slank, fruktig og ren stil i munn med detaljer av kjøtt toner i utgang. Bra driv.
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2/28/2019 - nytiger wrote: 94 Points
Wow. Still fantastic. I’ve had this wine in my cellar since 1991. Dark prune color. Big bordeaux nose. Complex bordeaux flavors and long finish. One bottle left. When should I drink it?
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2/24/2019 - nittanyjack Likes this wine:
This bottle was really in the zone. Lots of secondary and tertiary on the nose and palate. Med to full body with a decently long finish. Very nice
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2/14/2019 - dougstewartfcca Likes this wine: 93 Points
I loved this bottle of Gruaud! Everything worked, from the fruit to the terroir to the oak. It is at its prime, and I would recommend drinking it now.
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11/23/2018 - ChjonesVino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Balanced mature bordeaux medium red color, with aromas of earth, pencil shavings, cherry, and cedar. Cherry fruit, cedar, to the palate with subtle tannins on the palate. Like a leather shop. Impressive 30 yr old!
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11/18/2018 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 92 Points
🏅Rating 92/100 (4,2⭐)
Mature Bordeaux aromas of dill, graphite, pencil shavings, earth, boiled carrots, candied cherries. Perfume you can't resist and get addicted to.
Fruits already faded away leaving rather flat but silky palate.
Improves with time spent in glass.
Delicate decadence wine.
Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855. Indicative blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 60% and Merlot 30% with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot 10%
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10/19/2018 - Ralph_ wrote: 90 Points
Semesterprobe Bordeaux 1988; 10/19/2018-10/21/2018 (Lamm Hebsack Remshalden): Magnum
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10/5/2018 - Torchy wrote: 93 Points
Team Vitis Fall Tasting 88/76; 10/5/2018-10/7/2018 (Tord): Light dark berries and pencil shank on the nose. On the palate there are spices, dark fruits, blood tones and something that is perceived as minerals. Youthful. Very long.
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10/5/2018 - Normann Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drikker nydelig nå!
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9/23/2018 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Medium dark red color, earthy dark mixed berry aromas, rich dark cherry and blackberry fruit, cedar, tobacco, finishes with plenty of fruit and a bit of tannin. Has aged well.
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9/20/2018 - Hammer75 Likes this wine:
Had this wine with MOTZ at a tasting. The aromas on the nose were amazing, dark fruit, tobacco, lively. Delivering just as much on the palate. For a thirty year old wine it was still very alive.
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9/17/2018 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hair-raising aromas with elusive swirling elements of blackberry, licorice, lavender, cedar, salt marsh, green pepper, other undefinables. Smooth core of deep dark fruit on the palate in shifting layers with integrated tannins, threnody of acid on the finish. 50 + 18 + 18 + 9 = 95.
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9/14/2018 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
Hammer75 brought this to a tasting, for which I am grateful. Nine days have since passed, and this wine, the most memorable non-fortified wine poured that evening, continues to hold my attention.
It is the finest Gruaud Larose I have tasted. At thirty years of age it showed remarkable freshness, on the bouquet and palate, with blackcurrant, pepper garden, and graphite strikingly expressive. The wine also featured effusive secondary and tertiary elements, and still, its liveliness stood out. Indeed, this juxtaposition of vivacity and maturity ranks among the most beguiling tasting experiences of my wine lifetime.
Funk, sous-bois, root vegetables, tobacco, dried thick petal flowers, cedar, worn saddle leather, and deep minerality also showed prominently. The mid palate captivated with its lithe power. The back featured the finest tactile senses of traditional Bordeaux. The evocative finish had no quit in it. It will last for another decade...but why wait? Liquid pleasure!
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9/8/2018 - bajayngo wrote:
I love Bordeaux when it’s in this place. All that dusty cellar, Cedar notes, rustic fruit, graphite, all on the perfect framework.
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6/23/2018 - jmoore431 wrote: 92 Points
What a beautiful bottle of classic Bordeaux! I bought this at a time when $23.99 was a lot for me to spend on a bottle. You've probably experienced those times, moving to a new town, buying your first home there, new job,... With this bottle I had a little tear-out rating from back then, from a new wine rag called "Wine Enthusiast" giving this a 91 point score. I laugh to look back and think what I'd have said back then if someone told me I'd be spending 10 or 15X that amount some day for a wine I really had to have. From the price tag, I can tell this wasn't purchased from the merchant I'd end up spending most of my $ with. But one major wine regret is that this "other" merchant (right around this time) offered a fire sale on the '82 of this at $29.99. Could kick myself for buying just 2 bottles as that one is consistently a 95-96 point wine all day long!!!!
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4/27/2018 - dchain Likes this wine: 93 Points
$65/bt from auction and what a good buy it has turned out to be. Still quite dark ruby, immediately open on the nose with textbook GL fragrance of plum, soil, forest floor, spice and leather. Mid weight in a good way and still nice glossy fruit with a good acidic uplift which is in balance and really enhances the wine with food. Lovely length, no blockbuster but such elegance and freshness and heathy fruit. These 88s are much better than people think, sadly overlooked over the years but don’t hesitate buying and drinking these as it was delicious and a real crowd pleaser! Can still be enjoyed for another 5-10 years at least.
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4/15/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour then back in the bottle to take to dinner (it is JP's wine that I Duranded for him), med. ruby with brick rim, lovely tobacco & dark fruit, soft tannins, med. finish; delicious, drink up
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4/13/2018 - Birkamo wrote: 92 Points
30 bottles on release,7 remain. Very wet crumbly cork,no decant,very little brick,consistent med ruby color to rim.Intense nose on pour with dark fruit, tobacco, licorice/eucalyptus,subdued tannins but in excellent balance with nice acid.At near peak but a few good years left.2 hrs after initial pour ,beautiful color,lovely nose, no hint of decline.
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4/13/2018 - DaleW wrote:
Powerful, tannic, black fruited. Needs a steak. B/B+
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3/21/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chez Garth. Classic bdx, intense red in the glass, no signs of bricking. 2 minutes in the iSomm to loosen it up, then into the decanter it goes. Intense cedar and tobacco on the nose. The palate is smooth bright cherries oak and acid. Mature delicious and complex bdx. Yum!
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3/7/2018 - Alleleman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted right before tasting. No bricking, deep red to the edge. Upon tasting still had good fruit, a little smokey with a faint off taste. Put through the iSomm for 90 seconds (in 30 sec bursts with tasting inbetween) now a suburb aged bordeaux. Compares very favorably with the great 86 vintage - not quite as voluptuous. Wonderful secondary tastes of forest floor and licorice appear - almost a little raisiny. One bottle left. This will drink well for another 10-15 years easily
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2/1/2018 - salil wrote: 93 Points
My last impression of this (over 6 years ago) was of a wine that was too tannic and austere. It's come into balance now, as the structure has mostly integrated, and the core of fresh dark berried fruit is augmented by an array of savoury leathery, earthy, herbal, and cedary scents. The aromatics keep getting more intense and complex with air, and this is just a fantastic bottle of Bordeaux in a great place right now.
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12/23/2017 - Dave77 wrote: 91 Points
Popt and poured and this comes, upon a little funk to start with, singing out of the bottle.
After a few swirls the nose comes very much alive, earthy tones, sous bois and a little cedary. Has medium body but expansive pallet, with stil nice cream de casis tones, a strong acidic backbone and a little harsh side to it, which is not strange to the vintage. Tanins are fully resolved. Finish is medium long and very nice.
Drink or keep, will not benefit from further aging but will go no where fast.
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12/13/2017 - wineguru57@yahoo.com.au Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bottle opened very well. Classic leather, cigar box, lovely ethereal palate, tannins , and acid suggest further ageing will not in any way harm.
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11/4/2017 - ksmith wrote: 90 Points
Cork disintegrated on extraction. Nevertheless, was able to pour without filtering. Still a lot of fruit, but smoky secondary flavors predominate. Tannins gone, color clear and deep red. Still a lovely Bordeaux; still have one more to go, maybe 5 more years?
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10/7/2017 - BSA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork dry as paper, could only be pushed down the neck. Then lots of syrupy sediments, so decanted double. Not the highest expectations, but boy were we in for a surprise. Beautiful, classic St Julien perfume. Fresh acidity, delicate fruit, ripe tannins and long finish. Feels younger than label year. All elements are there but a bit lean on the mid palate and lacks some concentration and depth on the nose to go beyond 93-94p. But a killer wine still which continued to develop for the better the 2 1/2 hrs we followed it.
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6/4/2017 - rm97 wrote: 92 Points
Still got time. Delicious.
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5/31/2017 - mbesche wrote: flawed
Bottle unfortunately TCA loaded.
Bottle 6 from the case, the others were good to drinkable.
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5/27/2017 - ove_stammrud wrote:
Intens nese, mørk frukt, krydder, blyantspiss, furunål, pepper og cigar boks. Stor fyldig munn-følelse, helt nedslipt, bløt rund og behaglig moden frukt, sammlet hele veien. Lang utgang som varer.
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4/22/2017 - shutto1992@gmail.com Likes this wine: 98 Points
PNP. I am partial to Gruaud Larose and like the so called bordeaux funk. This wine is delicious. Earth, tampenade, leather, dark fruit, tobacco, all the flavors I love in bordeaux. This wine is singing now and I think this still has life left.
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3/8/2017 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #117; Bordeaux St. Julien except Léoville wines.... (By VD and @ VD): Ruby red and showing more depth in the color than Talbot 1983. The bouquet is not extremely expressive at first, but shows same dark berries, graphite and toffee. On the palate red and dark berries, earth. vanilla, high acidity, graphite and licorice. Cedar and some iodine as well. Beautifully mature refined and complex bouquet. Drink now or soon. Lovely now.
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2/18/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
During a tasting "bring a bottle that is at least 25 years old". Dark crimson, brick rim. Aristocratic and cool nose of dark fruit, autumn leaves, tobacco, earth. Excellent presence on the palate, the tannins are in line with 88 which means a bit more rustic than in the best vintages but not disturbing. Make sure you order steak with this like we did and you will have a winner.
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12/23/2016 - Tavastgatan wrote: 92 Points
Find it hard to believe modern day Bdx will age like this. I'd be happy to drink this every day. It's that good. Perfect maturity.
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12/17/2016 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Farmyard, manure, pencil and mineral aromas. Masculine and powerful with good concentration and acidity. Very Medoc.
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9/15/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 85 Points
Gruaud Larose Tasting and Dinner (Northbrook, IL): Also didn't thrill me. Rugged throughout, but with reasonably powerful fruit, just awkward and seemingly needing more time in the cellar.
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9/15/2016 - Nanda wrote: 87 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): The nose here is surprisingly brutish and un-evolved with aromas of plum fruit and non-distinct earth/herb. Palate is medium body with substantial structure for the age. Brawny. I wonder if this needs more time or air.
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5/17/2016 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tuesday group #009: 25 years or older. (By JWS): Beautiful bouquet with dark berries and cherries, vanilla, coffee and a touch of barnyard. On the palate a sweet start of ripe fruits, some mushrooms, earth and bell pepper. Beautiful acidity and soft tannin. The structure of this wine is very ok, but I wonder if this bottle was a 100% fresh. I scored the wine 90, but that could be a bit higher when the bottle is perfectly ok.
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5/15/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
The nose led with a generous dose of black cherry, licorice, and espresso. The palate wasn't quite as expressive at first, but given a little time in the glass, it was all there on the palate with the addition of cedar and tobacco, and although it came close, it never reached the heights of the nose. The tannins are gentle, and finish lingers with an herbaceousness. Fabulous with ribeyes and a terrific kickoff to my birthday week.
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5/3/2016 - Rackit Likes this wine: 92 Points
Picked up a pristine bottle from Total Wine on my way home on a random Monday night. Perfect cork. Into neck fill. Decanted for 30 minutes and tasted over the course of 4 hours. Agree with MC2 that this is one to drink up as I can't see it getting better than it's showing now...and probably on a slight decline. Super Bordeaux funk and dark red fruit on the nose upon opening. Very enjoyable classic style dominated by cigar and leather. Great sense of terroir. The clean, slightly acidic finish that others have mentioned makes this a perfect wine to pair with something like grilled hanger steak (which is what we had that night). The terrific dark fruit and Bordeaux funk dominated the first two hours then mellowed in hour three where this became a bit lean...almost tart. Things settled down considerably in hour 4 and this became a very different wine. Would be interesting to see where this goes in a few years if you have the patience and willpower to hold on to a few bottles. Personally, I'll drink whatever I can get my hands on.
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4/15/2016 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Food (Network, Da Umberto) & Wine (Chelsea Market, Da Umberto): Time to drink this right up since it's prob end of drinking window. Direct, cigar box. This wine is my prototype for old Bordeaux. It's a bit more earth-dominated that I really like (but I skew new world so that's not saying much). Did think it was running a bit on fumes so wonder what it might have been a few years ago.
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4/10/2016 - Chiantihound wrote: 92 Points
Cork soaked right through with some signs of light leakage. Dull ruby throughout. Great aged Bordeaux nose. Came around after 1 hr. Initial attack is strong with good acidity and dried cherry fruit elements. Tannins fully revolved too the point you wanted a little kick on the backend. Shortish finish. Overall a nice mature Bordeaux that was only missing a stronger finish to garner more points for me.
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1/21/2016 - aChave Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Light-medium ruby with lighter edge. Classic (for me) Gruaud character with rich fragrance and round, soft balance. Red fruit with light tannins and noticeable acidity at the finish. Meaty notes. Has a bit more structure and is less opulent and open than the 1985. Exceptional to drink now; held well over 4 hours. Needed very short decant to open for business; this bottle needed 30-45 minutes in the decanter and time to warm from cellar temperature.
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1/9/2016 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium - "full bodied, dark garnet colored, lively acidity with firm core of black berry fruits accented by tobacco, leather and hints of cassis with moderate tannins on the finish."
The bright cherry fruit and a layer of earthy black truffle and smoky meats were offset by the bright floral tones on the tangy lingering smooth tannin finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/01/vintage-st-julien-trio-highlight.html
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1/9/2016 - Indybond wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/31/2015 - Per-Harald Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great wine, getting ready to drink, but is still a little hard, a little closed, need to be aired a few hours in a carafe, archetypal red bordeaux, pencil, leather, tobaco, black currant
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11/25/2015 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 90 Points
The cork was soaked through, but the fill level was top shoulder. That's not bad for being bottled up for 25 years.
The color is, of course, garnet at the rim. The nose has elements of old cigar box, cedar and roasted meat. While the fruit is definitely fading (still there however), it is a delicious wine. It has berry fruit, black currents, lead pencil, and notes of forest floor. If you have some of this wine, I would pull the corks soon. Having said that, I don't consider this wine to be down the hill.
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10/23/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: Not such a long note because the wine disappointed a bit. In both the bouquet as well as on the palate there were some common factors; a firm dose of beautiful oak and green (bell pepper) impressions. Firm acidity and slightly drying tannin with still some bite. Not as good as the previous times I tasted the wine.
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9/26/2015 - ksmith wrote: 90 Points
Cork soaked and disintegrated on removal. Strained and decanted. Purple, nose of cedar, cigar box. Still showing some fruit, but definitely into tertiary territory. Some overtones of eucalyptus. Well preserved older Bdx, but over the hill. Still enjoyable, but time to drink up.
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9/12/2015 - smcg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pleasant enough although over the hill. No reason to hold any longer unless you're saving for a vertical tasting.
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7/29/2015 - MarshPDX Likes this wine: 90 Points
On downhill...
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6/22/2015 - Zweder wrote: 92 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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6/22/2015 - agbailey Likes this wine: 90 Points
In a really god place right now. Classic aged Bordeaux profile with leather, cedar, cassis. Nice finish. Really enjoyable and why one drinks aged bdx.
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4/17/2015 - COWineLover wrote: flawed
The second of a two bottle lot purchased on WineBid.com was corked. WineBid did not inspect the bottles or note the condition properly. WineBid did nothing to address the problem and I will never buy from WineBid ever again.
Not the way I wanted to open a bottle to celebrate the year I was married.
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4/17/2015 - COWineLover wrote: flawed
Purchased a two bottle lot from WineBid to celebrate the year I was married. The condition of the bottles was misrepresented by WineBid, and I don't know how they could have missed the poor bottle condition. Corked and awful! What a way to celebrate my 27th anniversary tonight.
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4/10/2015 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous nose, some heat (A-). Fabulous palate (A-/A).
My #3, Group's #9 (95 pts). Tasted blind.
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4/5/2015 - Markus IWC wrote: 93 Points
Riktigt mogen bordeaux, kraftfulla fattoner, ek, mjuka tanniner, perfekt till vilt och långkok.
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4/1/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Good balance of structure, fruit and earthy character for enjoyable current consumption/ Very enjoyable even if slightly on the simple side.
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3/29/2015 - EhrlichDY wrote: 92 Points
Similar impression to my note last month. Great stuff.
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3/19/2015 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured half bottle. Classic Gruaud here. Cordier funk, tobacco, and fruit. This bottle is at or near apogee and everything is in perfect harmony. Easy on the palate and well rounded. Drink now.
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2/15/2015 - JM_MadTown Likes this wine: 89 Points
The cork was soaked through and the fill level was mid to top shoulder, so I was concerned that the wine might not be good. However, it turned out to be very drinkable. But I do believe that it may not have been as good as it could have, so take that into account with my score.
The nose was somewhat reticent, but on the palate it had the usual cedar, lead pencil, forest floor and worn saddle leather. The tannins were very smooth.
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1/31/2015 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Typical for the vintage, slightly herbal nose; minerals, shy fruit, very structured, development ahead - I do not think that this will dry out.
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1/1/2015 - nytiger wrote: 92 Points
Fine mature wine, delicious, no off notes
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12/25/2014 - rm97 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious
Still years left
Lovely balance, complexity and length
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12/10/2014 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1h. Very musty cedar, earthy nose, on the palate wet leaves, plums, pepper, oak, smooth tannin. Great complexity!
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12/6/2014 - Ocean676 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cork saturated but intact. Modest bricking consistent with age. A hint of brett on the nose but not detected on the palate. Nicely balanced after 3 hour decant. Classic St Julien elements of leather and prunes. Slightly past its peak and a bit on the light side - more elegant than voluptuous. Paired well with beef Wellington and bordelaise sauce. A good example of the vintage in a traditional claret style. A nostalgic treat.
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11/17/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle I have had of this wine. Dark fruit, wet earth and tobacco on the nose. Much more fresh and lively than prior examples.
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11/7/2014 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 90 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. Bottom neck. Cork broke but wine in perfect condition. Real St Julien. Medium bodied tending to the light side. Still red little brown. Good acidity and balance. Enjoyable but a touch disappointing. Just great. Yield or not enough selection? Was Sarget produced at this time? Not going to improve, Drink soon.
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10/18/2014 - Bernt Olav wrote: 92 Points
Top shoulder fill, korken kom ut i 2 deler. Dyp mørk rød ugjennomsiktig kjerne med murstein kant. Aroma av kaffe, blyant, kamfer, lakris, mahogny, svak møbel polish. I munnen har den medium+ fylde, tydelig tannin og medium lengde. Denne flasken virker betydelig yngre enn den forrige flasken, flasker som denne vil antagelig utvikle seg positivt i 10+ år til og holde enda lengre. Ble drukket til entrecote av elg og det ble en ok match, kunne gjerne hatt en mer generøs vin til denne maten.
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8/3/2014 - Bernt Olav wrote: 92 Points
Litt under top shoulder fill og noe lekkasje fra korken, dette gjorde at forventningene var lave. Disse ble gjort til skamme, vinen trengte faktisk en liten time med luft før den åpnet seg og utviklet seg positivt den neste timen. Aroma av kaffe, blyant, mokka, mahogny, altså en classic claret. Tanninene er fremdeles tilstede, men er godt avstemte. Myk meduim fyldig munnfølelse. God lengde. Topp moden eler litt over, så det er ingen grunn til å la disse ligge .Fungert meget godt til reinsdyrbiff, kantareller mm.
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2/15/2014 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
Full bodied, dark garnet colored, lively acidity with firm core of black berry fruits accented by tobacco, leather and hints of cassis with moderate tannins on the finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/02/gruaud-larose-v-chateau-palmer.html
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1/1/2014 - ove_stammrud wrote:
God og moden duft av mørk/blå basert frukt, tobakk, blyerts og streif av krydder. Kraftig i munn med fin og integrert syre, saftig frukt og hint av oliver twist i en lang og pen utgang. Etter tjue min i karaffel sammler vinen seg til fordel for mer eleganse og mindre kraft i munn. Elegant bordeaux som drikker fint i dag.
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12/31/2013 - dausau wrote: 89 Points
In neck. Tobacco and hints of spice and strawberry. A somewhat shallow and cloudy mouth-feel. Good length. A little bit disappointing. 89-90p
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10/27/2013 - Vinomane wrote: 90 Points
Classic Gruaud profile, dense and dirty, ready to drink. Decent aromatics, good weight, abbreviated finish. A solid but unspectacular effort from an average vintage.
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9/21/2013 - lockestep Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice example of well-aged Cordier wine. Still alive and kicking at 25, classic nose, palate lacks subtlety but is pleasant, medium to long finish. Had a bit of harshness on first pour which blew off in 15 mins or so. Consumed over the evening after a 1-hour wait (no decant). Never surprised or morphed into anything special, WYSIWYG wine but you do get a good companion from it.
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9/19/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose of weedy tobacco, dark fruit, herbs and earth. A bit chunky on the palate. Straightforward. A Bordeaux that should be enjoyed soon.
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8/20/2013 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Carmine red with an orange rim. Beautiful bouquet; mature with earth, vanilla, smoke, graphite and sweet licorice. On the palate still juicy with some red fruits, silky soft tannin, some earth, bell pepper and white pepper. A classical mature, complex and refined wine. Completely ready now and probably wise not to wait much longer.
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6/21/2013 - cephomer Likes this wine: 93 Points
French Tasting - Cepages Tasting Group (12th Street Osteria, New York City): White & Red French tasting with Rick, Dave & Alessandro at 12th St Osteria in NYC.
1st wine was Giroud Chambertin 2003: Ripe pinot showing it's age, looked older than it was. Some spice on the nose, ripe fruit too. Lots of ripe red cherries, wood, nothing memorable here. The wine was fairly one dimensional & a definite disappointment for all. Blame it on the hot vintage. This wine's fading fast.
Next up-Messorio 2001, which we drank blind. Lots of cedar, wood on the nose. Dark purplish color, looked to be the youngest of our wines today, modern style. Al pinned it as Italian. I thought it to be Calif. Everyone was shocked to discover it to be 100% merlot. I found it overly tannic and still very young, which interfered with my enjoyment of the wine. Great depth of fruit, blackberries and plums, pretty well integrated & complex wine. All liked it. I scored it a 93
#3 was the Charmes Chambertin Rousseau 1996. Pale redish brown in the glass, definitely showing its age. Lots of spice, barnyard, dirty socks, & overall tertiary notes on the nose. Classic mature burg nose. The wine was a shocker to me as I didn't expect much (this was my contribution), esp. after reading up on this wine. It still had great fruit, lots of spice, & forest floor with a certain musty complexity. Af first it seemed to fade in the glass, but then it came back strong with all the notes mentioned above. I scored it a 94; Al gave it a 98 and claimed this to be the essence of red burgundy. A surprisingly well-preserved and delicious bottle of wine.
No.4: GRUAUD LAROSE 1988: Deep red color, seemed very youthful still in the glass. Somewhat muted nose, but I detected dark fruits/plums. On palate, tannins have receded & integrated well into the juice, no real harsh edges here as this wine sometimes gives. Lots of plums, currant, good length. This wine has matured nicely, all its elements coming together into a very pleasant, if not overly complex mix. Never my favorite bdx but very much enjoyed this one to my pleasant surprise. I scored it 93
Finished with a 2000 Sine Qua Non Noble Man Viognier. Drank blind and no one could guess. Some thought a vin du pays or a tba. Rich amber color in the glass, honey and ripe apricots on the nose. Very viscous, very decadent. Rich apricots, hints of butterscotch, a very definite nuttiness, almonds, very vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable and a nice way to end a great afternoon lunch and tasting. 94 in my humble estimation.
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6/12/2013 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
very dark red, dark berry, black current, tobacco, smokey with some earthy notes. dense fruit on palate, medium to full body, medium long finish. Still young with a long life ahead I think.
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5/17/2013 - ingar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Grei, moden Bordeaux.
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5/8/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Gruaud Larose Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Good structure, freshness and balance vs much of my recent experience with 1988 Bordeaux. Very pleasurable tonight, even if on the simple side.
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5/4/2013 - joshbryer Likes this wine:
Slow Ox'ed over 3 hours then served from bottle at the restaurant. Black fruit, smoke and tar on the nose. Palate is quite dense with brambly black fruit and an intensely concentrated flint element. Still plenty of structure and acidity to stand with food. Very smooth mouthfeel, drinking really well right now, no need to wait. More concentrated and more secondary development than the last bottle.
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4/3/2013 - latimer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Colour showing its age, but classic' lovely St Julien and showing none of the often rather austere/tough 1988 edges. Lots of sweet ripe fruit, earthy/cedary, soft and long, A great bottle of Gruaud and will be good for a while yet...
2nd bottle April 2014 not quite as good, and showing some vegetal signs of old age, but still classic and I guess about 91/100
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2/23/2013 - vinole wrote: flawed
S FL WS Group tastes 1988 Bordeaux (and others) (Jupiter, FL): Some said corked, others said just off, but not a sound bottle.
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2/10/2013 - md20 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mittlere Struktur, ordentlicher Cordier Stinker (Bret). Noch kein Alter zeigend. Sehr erdige Noten.
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1/26/2013 - jorgerunfast Likes this wine:
Decanted about 90 minutes, and it was drinking extremely well. I was very impressed with this wine. Beautiful nose, with plenty of tobacco and leather, some deep blue fruit, and some fig. Tannins are smooth an well-integrated, soft. Prunes and more figs on the palate. Yum.
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12/29/2012 - Ian Day Likes this wine: 86 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Amazing nose of old leather, tobacco and with a hint of pepper. Nose vanished towards the end of the meal ie about 4 hrs after decanting. Never having drunk 1988 Gruaud Larose before I have no benchmark against which to set this wine; that said excellent flavours of old herbs, grass, pencil shavings and dry grass - an antiquarian bookshop of a wine !
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12/21/2012 - granikmw wrote:
Fully on its plateau: beautifully scented, benchmark Left Bank, streamlined, complex and elegant from front to back; fully integrated and harmonious. Poised.
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12/11/2012 - coyler wrote:
Visual: Deep, dark purple
Nose: Old leather couch, black pepper, soy sauce.
Palate: Dried cherry and apple, dried flowers, perfectly integrated tannins with a long, drying finish.
Probably not getting much better from here, but in a great place with fruit still intact, matched tannins and some great tertiary notes. Very nice, A-
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3/17/2012 - md20 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Noch kein Alter zeigender Wein, welcher viel Luft braucht. Mittlere Ordentlicher Cordier Stinker (Bret) mit Struktur, viel Leder und Bodennoten. Mir hat er gefallen!
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12/26/2011 - winemo wrote:
- Garnet color and aromas of black currant and has flavours of prune, molasses and mushroom with a long finish.
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10/19/2011 - Vinacull wrote: 91 Points
Respi-aerate to decanter, let sit about 45 min. Cork 3/4 saturated, bottom tip broke off. Color garnet with lots of dark hues in the center, mild bricking at the rim. Complex effusive bouquet of fresh dry earth, tobacco, brick dust, barnyard, salty minerals, crushed tomatoes, tar, and blackerries. On the palate, sour cherries and black currants densely adorned with earth, tobacco, iron minerality, and a little tar. Medium-plus acid and full earthy tannins are on their way to full integration and not as daunting as I expected. Medium length finish of tart black fruit and tobacco flavors stretch into an extended aftertaste of earthy minerals. Outstanding, but I could imagine it being better with greater depth of fruit and a longer finish - looking forward to the '86. Can go another ten years or more, depending on your preference for level of fruit intensity and freshness to offset the earth and minerals. Excellent value for 45 USD paid in '94.
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10/15/2011 - salil wrote: 89 Points
The same elements as the '85 we had earlier in the night - bright red fruit, tobacco and Cordier funk, but not showing the same depth or power as the '85 did, with the tannin making it feel a bit more austere. Very enjoyable with some air, though a bit disappointing given my expectations for mid 80s Gruauds.
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8/5/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 89 Points
Very nice aromatics and rather herbal. Very good and ready to drink.
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6/24/2011 - Paul D wrote:
Gruaud Larose at The Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): Lovely, earthy, spicy black fruited nose, hints of cedar and leather. Medium bodied, fresh and appetising claret with lovely acidity and attractive developed, spicy flavours. Not particularly deep or long, but very appetising. ****
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3/5/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Lovely stinky nose. Leather, rustic fruit. Dirt covered meaty deli spice.
Acidic and good grip. The nose is beautiful and the palate is solid but didn't support the aromatics.
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3/5/2011 - psmith wrote:
Actually a larger-scaled wine than the 1989, but with characteristic dark fruit and raw, grainy, green tannins. needs time but lots of promise.
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2/26/2011 - tbabes wrote: 91 Points
The fill was base neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the next five hours. A ruby-red core, with some amber at the rim. An outrageously expressive bouquet, offering up complex notes of smoky black fruits, black truffle, tobacco and a hint of wild animal. Medium-bodied, with good grip, a pleasant texture, and long finish. Faded over time in the glass, so I'd suggest to drink this in the short-term.
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1/15/2011 - mariolanza wrote: 91 Points
Excellent acidity, great terroir, balanced and lots of smoke and tobacco notes, nice aftertaste, peaked.
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12/22/2010 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Initially seemed oxidized; later softened with light currant and blackberry; mature with light tannins and decent balance.
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10/7/2010 - nytiger wrote: 92 Points
fine color,nose, flavors and finsh
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9/19/2010 - jpijg wrote: 90 Points
Nose is earthy with hints of blackcurrent, blackberries, smoke, cedar and cigarbox. In the mouth, it's definitely more on the mineral side with leather, autumn forest and cigarboxgfragrance. Fruit flavours are nice and ripe, but tertiary aromas and minerality tend to dominate. Tanins have been rounded by time and provide a good backbone. This wine is definitely nice and classic. It reminds you that you should not be in a hurry to drink classic clarets.
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5/30/2010 - jpijg wrote: 90 Points
Nose : graphite, blackcurrent, blackberry, tobacco and a distinctive smokyness. In the mouth, like many 88, the fruit, although pure, do not have the same degree of ripeness as 1988.
The wine is more on the mineral side with a complex palette of autumn forest fragrance, graphite and a smoky character. The long finales has hints of caramel.
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4/30/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Tasted in single-blind fashion at a St. Julien theme tasting. The bottle was kindly provided by Mike Christensen. Deep garnet/amber in color. Very intense, pleasant bouquet of plum, leather, earth and (yes) pomegranate. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, melted tannins and a silky mouth texture. The flavors follow the nose and the finish is medium-to-long (and quite smooth). Very nice. Drink now-12/15.
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4/17/2010 - ksmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of cassis, cedar and blackberry. Dark purple, no bricking. Smooth on the palate, tannins fully integrated and soft. Blackberry and dark fruits on the palate. Acid present, but not obtrusive. Medium finish.
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3/22/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Eldon Dumps His Bordeaux (Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA): Nose of cedar and pencil lead with a bit of heat. Big and surprisingly juicy with very strong tannins. Bit round and showing more cedary redwood notes. This evened out some later on and became very nice classic aged Cabernet.
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3/14/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 90 Points
My last bottle of a case. and like all the others, with a saturated cork. A bit of barnyard with dark fruits, leather, oak and just slightly thin. Tannins still showing and with a lingering, dry finish. Classic bordeaux and quite enjoyable.
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1/1/2010 - tomandlu wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Cork soaked to the top. Opaque, mature garnet color with only a hint of brown. Very complex, well-balanced nose of hot iron, tar, cedar, red fruit, loam and that tell-tale barnyard-like funk of Gruaud. Silky and full on the palate with resolved tannin and good acidity. Very ripe and fresh, perhaps the best of an '88 I've had. Moderate, earthy finish. All in all, an excellent bottle of wine, particularly in light of the vintage. The only thing that kept it from being stellar was a lack of elegance, but then again, this is Gruaud, and it more than makes up for that lack with its sheer density and richness.
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12/17/2009 - joshbryer wrote:
Drank at Park ($8 corkage and $5 burger night, nice!). Nose of some pencil shavings, definite barnyard, some menthol, deep fruits in the background. Palate was classically structured with supple, silky mouthfeel, and just enough delightfully sweet fruit to balance the fine-grained tannins lingering on the finish. Very bordeaux, not necessarily very St. Julien though. Quite nice.
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11/15/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
Another saturated cork, but wine was unaffected. A duplicate of the bottle I opened back in January and maybe even a bit smoother. I keep thinking it is going to go over the hill - but not yet. A classic aged Bordeaux and drinking nicely.
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7/10/2009 - skwid wrote:
The nose on this wine was extremely good. really "bordeaux like". The mouth feel was ore tanic than I would have expected from the nose. Still a very nice wine.
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6/24/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
Another bottle where the cork was saturated - but unlike the prior bottle, it was not oxidized. Typical Gruaud nose with some barnyard along with very dark berry fruit and some oak and earth. Dark berry fruit on the palate with a lot of drying tannins and a good bit of acidity. Medium bodied with a lean mouthfeel and a slightly tart finish. Just barely enough fruit left to balance the tannins. It is not improving - need to drink up.
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5/2/2009 - BigRed1000 wrote: 89 Points
Good for an 88. Not showing much tannin but could use a bit more fruit. Good for the vintage.
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1/31/2009 - nytiger wrote: 91 Points
big nose bordeaux and barnyard, fine flavors and finish
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1/7/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 91 Points
I have enjoyed many bottles of this wine, and this was the best yet. Popped and poured - cork was saturated, but intact. Missing the typical Gruaud barnyard aroma and with a lot more fruit than in prior bottles. Blackberry and blueberry fruit with spice and some pepper in the background. Medium bodied with an elegant mouthfeel, good acidity and drying tannins. Really tasty.
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12/25/2008 - JBVino wrote:
drinking well...consumed with 88 CA cab from Justin...no comparision as you might expect 20 years had done in the Cal cab for the most part. Larose was solid for an average year...solid acidity and tannins (maybe a bit rough/dry but enjoyed) with good secondary flavors. Should be around for a few more years
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10/19/2008 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
I have enjoyed many bottles of this wine -- and have had very consistent notes. This one had a fairly saturated cork, but it did not seem to have affected the wine. Dark fruit flavors that are a bit flat with a lean, almost elegant, mouth feel. Slightly dry and slightly acidic. Fully mature, I will drink up my remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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10/12/2008 - dougsmith wrote: 88 Points
Deep ruby color. Bloody Mary nose with some tobacco and herbal components. A bit hard on the palate at first. Given about an hour of air it opened a bit more, still somewhat flat, with resolved tannins.
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9/10/2008 - keelegl wrote: 92 Points
Tasted next to a 1989 Beychevelle. The Larose came off a little more fresh and complex in comparison. Pretty nose of blueberry reduction, lead pencil and vanilla. Nice body weight with more blueberry, plums and earth. Tannins are there, but just enough to help cut through my lamb. Drinking really well right now so I would check in on one if you have it.
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8/12/2008 - matro wrote: 88 Points
Still enjoyable, but beginning to fade. Missing the typical St. Julien spicy component.
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7/29/2008 - The Dabbler wrote: 89 Points
Cork was not saturated thoughout as others experience but was dry and brittle at the top, however the wine was not spoiled. Decanted for about two hours and could have used even more time. Barnyard nose with some fruit holding on the palate. Acidity in balance. Nice experience.
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7/6/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 86 Points
This last bottle of four, first two completely corked and third one very good, had stayed intact and was drinkable but not as good as the third bottle hence the lower score. Definitely past peak. Barnyard nose did improved with aeration in glass and I suspect would disappear fairly rapidly completely with proper decanting. Dark purple, good mouthfeel and significant aftertaste but overall just flatter then previous bottle. Bouquet initially barnyard with weak black- and blueberries and some oak. Remained smooth and well integrated with almost completely disappeared fruit and still very well structured tannins. Primary flavors included terroir, washed out black- and blueberry flavor, oak with some smoke and white pepper on aftertaste. Even on this good bottle the cork was completely soaked through. Recommend drinking holdings now and a rather protracted decant.
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7/3/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 88 Points
First two of four bottles totally corked, this third one good and will open the fourth one soon. Drank filtered but not decanted with Bill while playing pool and significantly improved with aeration and time in glass so strongly recommend decanting. Very good, very mature, drink holdings now as fruit beginning to disappear and probably at or maybe slightly past peak. Heavy barnyard nose which improved significantly with aeration in glass and I suspect would disappear fairly rapidly completely with proper decanting. Dark purple, good mouthfeel and significant aftertaste. Bouquet initially barnyard with heavy bret presence as noted above, as this blew off nose primarily consisted of somewhat weak black- and blueberries and some oak. Very smooth and well integrated with disappearing fruit and still very well structured tannins. Primary flavors included terroir, black- and blueberries, oak, some smoke on aftertaste and overall very elegant as it opened up. Even on this good bottle the cork was soaked all the way, the cork just crumbled on the first two bottles. Recommned drinking holdings now and a rather protracted decant.
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7/3/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: flawed
2 bottles flawed, third good - see tasting note
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6/19/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90+
Tasted June 19, 2008 at an offline.
Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Just a little horsey on the nose but doesn't detract really from the wine giving way to some notes of thistle, berries and some other subdued florals. Flavors of red berries and red cherries on the palate. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full body. Drink over the short term.
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6/19/2008 - jri wrote:
Definite barnyard, ready to drink. Improved with an hour of air and better with two. Mature and felt it was going over the edge at first. The air time helped. Ulage was high , however cork was soaked all the way. I noticed other comments with soaked corks (humm). I'm afraid to let the rest of the bottle age.
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4/25/2008 - reichken wrote: 89 Points
Lunch Hawksmoor-lovely lightish purple color starting to brick a bit...earthy nose and with a little coaxing some dark red fruits. lovely drink, a bit acidic and some good barney flavors, very dry tanins, rally god with fat steak
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4/12/2008 - baroloboy55 wrote: 89 Points
Nice bottle. Mature, classic St. Julien nose, smokey, somewhat earthy dark fruit. Rich on palate but ends with a slightly green, cab franc center. Very pleasant, good mature bdx.
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4/12/2008 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
Typical Gruaud Larose -- earthy, barnyard nose, although less prominent than some other vintages. The nose quickly changed to a muted black berry with some earthy undertones. Wine is ruby edged with a light to medium body - leaves an impression of elegance. More fruit than I expected from an '88. Slightly acidic/dry, but not enough to be out of balance. Very enjoyable and fully mature. Great with a grilled steak.
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4/8/2008 - JScott wrote: 91 Points
No reason to wait on these.
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2/17/2008 - LWI wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Dark, only slight maturity detected. Muted nose. Medium bodied towards the lighter side. Medium finish, still some tannins and good acidity. Did not give much. Opened up after 5 hours and became sweeter and fuller, but far from a heavyweight. Half a glass was left in the bottle, and it was just as good the next day. Classic claret. Now-2025 (in a good cellar)
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1/25/2008 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Only great bottles, and this one was pristine with a snug cork and nice ullage. Now coming on 20, but still a nice youthful color. Touch of brett and leather on the nose. I notice a little more acid in this, enough to get the juices flowing, but certainly well-proportioned. Among the better '88's and still has a future.
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12/29/2007 - Paul D wrote: 88 Points
Bought to Dinner by Tim & Sarah, no formal note, decanted half an hour in advance. Lovely, inviting, complex nose, deep and spicy with tobacco and underlying bilberry and cassis fruit, hints of earth, promises much. Medium bodied on the palate with fully integrated tannins and balanced acidity, although lacks depth and the finish falls away a little - whilst still enjoyable in truth a little disappointing after the stunning nose.
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11/21/2007 - ksmith wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Medium garnet, hint of orange and clear at the rim. Nose of barnyard, leather and hanging meat. Some smoke as well. Blackberry, cedar and pencil lead. Tannins seem fully integrated, not noticeable. Medium, finish. A little clove developing on the nose as it sits in the glass. I don't think this will get better, so time to drink up.
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10/25/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
WS NYWE Grand Tastings; 10/25/2007-10/26/2007 (Marriott Marquis): Full deep red color. Lovely briar spice nose of red fruit with hust a hint of green. Very nice red fruit with the green note carrying through on the palate.
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10/1/2007 - dv002i wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 20 minutes. Strong aromas reminiscent of a manure pile outside a horse barn. Flavors of wet straw and earthiness on the tongue. Smooth and refined tannins. Past it prime or a bad bottle, but not cork tainted. Still a drinkable claret.
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9/22/2007 - BIlgen wrote: 85 Points
Very dark, bright, small brown rim
Ceder wood, powerful parfum, not much fruit
Soft taste, a bit burning, well developed, lots of alcohol
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9/12/2007 - Fielding wrote: 94 Points
Rosh Hashanah with big family. Decanted for 30 minutes. Dark red color, but still vivid. Nose a bit muted, with woods and violets. Classic Bordeaux balance, with lots of fruit and integrated tannin. Tobacco is the primary note, joined by cherries, currants and cedar. Still youthful and elegant, but probably reaching its peak.
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7/22/2007 - JScott wrote: 91 Points
Cork soaked. Another fine bottle.
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7/11/2007 - plhew wrote: 93 Points
Cork was leaking but could not discern any damage. Very enjoyable aged wine. reminiscent of a fine barolo. Had it by itself but would have been better with food. Very refined
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4/9/2007 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Not as expressive as the last bottle, but still a solid claret.
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4/6/2007 - Mark wrote: 88 Points
Dinner at my house with Jeff Chen. We were looking for an earthy aged Bordeaux an settled on this. No tasting note, but I do recall this bottle not measuring up to previous tastings. I think the bottle was less than an ideal example.
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3/24/2007 - Fielding wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Nose of cocoa, coffee, tobacco. Tasting just a little fruit left, but elegant and rounded, with a powerful flavor of cut cigar. Drink now.
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3/24/2007 - ksmith wrote: 88 Points
Noticable funk, garnet with some bricking. Leather, smoke and hanging meat. Drinking well now.
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1/17/2007 - samcolt wrote: 90 Points
Decantend. Nice body. Drinking well.
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1/7/2007 - JScott wrote: 93 Points
Only great bottles, and mama this was one. Easily the best showing for me yet on this bottling (which I've probably had a dozen times). Full, round, everything in place. If they were all like this one, I'd back up the truck at this price point.
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1/7/2007 - ksmith wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Initial nose in the glass has elements of funk, barnyard. After 1/2 hour, becomes much more classical cedar and lead pencil. Color is clear, dark ruby, letting light through but a rich red color. Medium body on the mid palate, with tobacco, black cherry, raspberry fruit. Stll some drying tannins balanced with fruit and acidity and a long, long finish, with hints of clove. Detecting a little Band-Aid at the finish. Will check back and any additional thoughts after dinner.
AFter two hours, fruit continued to assert, black cherry predominently. Wine smoothed out and is drinking beautifully now.
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1/6/2007 - rmodak wrote: 92 Points
Did not decant this, just popped the bottle and poured a glass, then drank a few hours later. Surprsingly open, with lots of violets, tobacco, black cherry. Great perfume, very silky mouthfeel with firm tannins. Seemed at peak with all the components in balance. I think this will easily last for another 5 years, but I am not sure about RP's drinking window of 18 years more.
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12/21/2006 - bevetroppo wrote: 90 Points
My experience with the '88 vintage has been mixed. In a number of cases, the dusty and aggressive tannins have overshadowed the other elements, so that even heralded chateaux like Cos D'Estournel and Mouton have been disappointing when tasted in the past few years. This Gruaud was a welcome exception, brought by a friend to dinner last night. Couldn't get a fix on the color in the dim restaurant light, but it had a lovely mature nose of ripe fruit, tobacco and graphite with flavors to match. Very feminine in texture, which surprised me given the history above. Almost delicate, I probably would have guessed Margaux instead of St. Julien. One to look for at auction.
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10/22/2006 - JScott wrote: 90 Points
Serious Brett/Cordier funk on this one, and I can see where those who don't tolerate much wouldn't be crazy about this bottle. Goes to the edge for me, but pulls back just enough with some air to keep me involved. A good (not great) claret.
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9/28/2006 - carlwhat wrote:
i found this bottle delicious. still a bit tannic on the backend (did decant for about 1 hour), but had a wonderful nose of casis, blackberry and lead pencil. thought it drank beautiful...
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7/26/2006 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Best showing of the three of four consumed. Note to self: Hold out another couple years before drinking the last bottle...
Nice nose of Bordeaux cedar and tobacco. Fruit and leather on the palate with full mid-palate. Great finish. No decanting and with very little sediment in the bottle. The bottle was opened about two hours prior to serving and was enjoyed for another hour and a half with grilled Porterhouse steaks.
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6/19/2006 - Dixie_F wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Drank over 1.5 hours. Excellent acidity. not much concentration. Mushrooms and graphite with hints of cedar. Some bandaid flavor. Great nose. An enjoyable bottle.
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4/30/2006 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Youthful, enormous complex. In perfect harmony. Definitely at its peak now and staying like that for several years more. It was the winner this evening beside Cos d'Estournel 1986 and 1986 Château Léoville Las Cases.
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4/10/2006 - Bone wrote: 94 Points
Initially somewhat closed, it opened up beautifully about one and a half hours after decanting. Dark brick red color. Tobacco, mushroom, leather and graphite on the nose. Smooth and silky on the palate with perfectly integrated tannins and a medium long finish. Probably still has a long life ahead.
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2/12/2006 - agbailey wrote: 93 Points
Spectacular. We opened this at a wine tasting party. We had about 8 bottles that evening, and it came down to this and a "95 Silver Oak. My preference was this. Rich dark fruit flavors layered with nice earthiness and subtle oak or cedar. Tannins were very well integrated. It had been a while since I had a nicely aged bordeau, and this reminded me of why we lay them down.
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1/23/2006 - BIlgen wrote: 85 Points
Deep dark ruby red, almost somber black
Good nose, not much fruit but with ’noblesse’
Good taste most hard tannines gone, round taste with some ’integrated’ fruits, long after taste
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1/8/2006 - cab wrote:
Last bottle. From the others, I thought it was probably time to consume, and it probably was. Elegant, definitely best within the first hour or so when there was a subtly layered, tobocco-ey, flowery, leathery thing going on. Decanted, which I didn't do with the last bottle, and it deifnitely was a good move. Muted tannins. This wine won't knock you over, and I personally think it may be a few years past its prime, but if someone offers me some in six months I won't turn it down.
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12/5/2005 - Dteng wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby color gives way to lovely aromas of cedar, ash, gravel with a core of bright cherries and a medium finish. Fully mature IMO. Just delicious with Chateaubriand. Thanks for sharing Nancy D!
I am just surprised at the variable notes on CT. Nancy's bottle was impeccable.
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12/3/2005 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
My experience with my second bottle most closely aligns with Gregg's comments of 5/14/05 on Cellar Tracker!
This 17-year old Bordeax has a bit of funk upon opening that is hard to describe. Definite earthy quality for that funk, but it seems to dissipate after a half hour or so. There is the leather and tobacco with a bit of medium red fruit on the palate. I wouldn't venture into the dark fruit zone. The earth and leather are more forward than the fruit. The tannins are resolving, but can still stand up to a meat course, such as steak or veal chop. This wine is not a fruit bomb. If that is your style, move on!
This is a very enjoyable bottle of wine to enjoy with a nice meal and good friends.
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9/7/2005 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. This is bottle #2; first one was two nights ago, no notes made due to company present. A light red with rust color and clarity to the edge of the glass. A slight bite, which is surprising for the age, and a sour cherry smell. There is a slight taste which disappears of wet fur or feathers(!). Hoping it would have been better but it comes up average to mediocre.
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9/3/2005 - mdstenner wrote: 88 Points
Smelling the open bottle rich leather and dark cherry aromas gently waft into the nostrils. The color is pale ruby red with clear bricking. The aroma is soft, deft and mature with old leather and bitter cherry notes. The wine is medium-bodied and clearly at its plateau with little complexity but it is drinking well. The fruit is fading but still there, the tannins are fully resolved, and the finish is a little sour but not tart or acidic in any way. A fully mature, elegant wine.
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8/18/2005 - jump wrote:
fantastic. Saddle leather, tobacco and a solid fruit driven core.
92
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6/14/2005 - basis wrote: 82 Points
I just don't get it ... I bought two of these about three months ago, and they smell/taste/look the same. I think this wine sucks. :(
Brownish-red, lightening to the edge. Upon opening, lovely nose of sweet cherries, but after 15 minutes the nose has dwindled to a little barnyard, and mostly leather. On the palate, a gone-before-you-know-it taste of sweet fruit, then a fairly concentrated midpalate of leather and wood, with a decent finish with more of the leather. There's a slight bit of red fruit trying to peek out, but it's not able to get the job done. Yuck. This might have been good and complex, if tannic, a couple of years ago. I know others are saying this is still drinking well, but caveat emptor.
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6/4/2005 - Mark wrote: 90 Points
This wine is drinking very well right now, i don't think it's over the hill, and will continue in this state for a bit of a while. Dark red in color with bricking on the edge, it's still an rather opaque wine. The fruit, although present, is a bit more subdued than i would have liked, making it slightly out of balance. Less of the signature Gruaud barn brett style as other vintages, like the 89, but I get dark cherries, tobacco, spice, cedar. Slightly thin and metallic nose, but a nice finish of medium length that lingers on the palette. Tasted over the course of four hours, it was very consistent throughout and continued to develop favorably until the end.
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5/21/2005 - rlysecky wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful wine showing fantastic aromas of black currants, star anise, dark cherries, spice, and cedar. Flavors of currant and cherries with some tobacco follow on the palate where the tannins are still present. This wine is my first experience with aged Bordeaux and I thought this wine was exceptional (but what do I know?)
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5/14/2005 - gregg g wrote:
There have been a lot of notes on this wine, thanks to another re-release. There seems to be two camps here, one that finds this wine over the hill, fading and absent of fruit; and the other, showing complexity, maturity and elegance. If I had to pick, I would say the consensus seemed to be more in line with the later view. The wine clearly showed some musty, leather aromas with some currant and secondary nuances. The flavors continue on the palate with some additional unresolved tannins. Yes, the tannins are still present and perhaps will completely integrate with time, but it was not a problem at all. In fact, it seemed to add to the structure. The wine still had very little rough edges and the finish was medium in length, drying out just a bit on the finish.
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4/8/2005 - RJD wrote: 91 Points
Absolutely delightful. Color was a nice dark purple with pink edges. Great nose of currant, pencil shavings, and some black cherry. Perhaps a hint of chocolate. Medium bodied and fully integrated tannins. No sharp edges on this elegant lady. My only beef is that the finish was much too short. I think this can go another year or two, but I wouldn't wait as I don't see much room for improvement.
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3/22/2005 - cab wrote:
Not a lot of fruit, but still nice - better, in fact, than we remembered from a few months ago. Still think this is for drinking now, but it definitely has retained an elegance and a subtle intensity.
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3/21/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Gruaud Larose Vertical (Michael's NYC): Smooth, sweet. Integrated tannins. A little short.
B+
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3/20/2005 - basis wrote: 82 Points
Black, lightening to ruby at the rim. Nice fruit on the nose upon opening, but quickly faded to leather and barnyard. On the palate, an initial sweetness on the tip of the tongue, but again fades to nothing but woody/leathery tannin. Interesting, but not tasty; over the hill.
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3/18/2005 - wfm wrote:
Lovely upon opening... nice fruit and just the right amount of Bordeaux "dirt" in the tasting. However, faded quickly. I have 5 more bottles. I won't wait much longer to consume. 91 points
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1/1/2005 - cab wrote:
Elegant, I would say maybe even a little over the hill -- have two more bottles and will not make a point to hold on to them. That said, this was very nice. Not a lot of fruit left, but very soft, muted tobacco, earth flavors. Maybe not worth quite what I paid for it, but still nice, and am looking forward to the other two bottles.
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12/18/2004 - Peter Hirdt wrote: 91 Points
The wine is at peak now. The primary fruit is gone and what's left is simply wine, in the best sense. A strong tannic streak remains so there's no rush to drink. The flavor profile resembled a Pauillac as much as it did a St. Julien. Pristine bottles at the current market price of $55 would be attractive.
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4/3/2004 - JohnB wrote:
Decanted for sediment. Deep garnet in the glass, clear rim. Dark nose of licorice, fruit, and earth. The palate follows the nose with a trace of tannin in the moderate finish. Thick mouth feel, good balance and nice density. Not as much power or complexity as the 90 consumed recently. Solid, well made, and enjoyable now, should hold for quite a while.
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12/2/2003 - DhirenF wrote:
I was clearly not as far gone as Eric at the point at which we tasted this, because I made a note to buy some if I could get my hands on it. So it is the next bottle that we shall drink when we get together next for dinner, and will then post notes on the tasting
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11/16/2003 - peteng wrote:
OK, kanske over the hill
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11/2/2003 - Eric wrote:
DeLille Cellars 7th annual Paulee de Woodinville (Woodinville, WA, USA): (**) This was one of the official wines poured with the Squab course. My notes were almost nonexistent at this point as all I had written was: tobacco, dilute?, ok.
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2/9/2003 - Henman wrote:
N: very alluring,pleasant,cassis fruit.
P: silky texture,good balance,cedar,cassis.
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8/23/2002 - buckeye76 wrote: 90 Points
DEEP BERRY FRUIT, LICORICE, AND EARTHY NOTES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. TOOK 30 MINUTES TO COME AROUND AND KEPT IMPROVING. MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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12/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($100) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Lighter than its cohorts with more clear at the rim and a tawny touch. Funky mushrooms, truffles, and raspberry in the nose. Brisk acids, medium body. Harsh finish. Somewhat lean and thin. From magnum.
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9/7/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1988 Bordeaux 5 Reds at Primas. was the most expensive at $38 and easily the best wine with a nice hint of tobacco, musty, along with lots of soft tannins and acid for long term cellaring, well balanced with a medium/long pleasant finish. First place.
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6/5/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1988 Bordeaux Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Closed nose but nice fruit-licorice, tobacco, cedar, and black berry, too much acid, needs time to peak. My #2 and Group #5.
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