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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 172 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by magnord on 4/19/2024 & rated 93 points: Inte särskild tydlig mognad i färgen.
Stall! Det efterlängtade Gruaud-stallet! Ceder, skog, ved till och med, eukalyptus, vinbärspastill, lite koskit, som sig bör. Så klassikt!
Friska syror, grovkorniga tanniner, kalkig, högst levande frukt, lång svans. Utmärkt! (149 views) | | | Tasted by NarunP on 10/12/2023 & rated 91 points: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 29% Merlot 6% Cabernet Franc 4% Petit Verdot 1% Malbec
Another stellar 1998 that overdelivered beyond the critical reading of this supposedly mediocre vintage for Left Bank Bordeaux. GL packs plenty of charm and characters. Lots of dark fruits (blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry), black tea, old leather, sweet spice box, seaweed, mint. Amazing bottle that will have a staying power for at least a decade from now. Drink now until 2033. 91. (1157 views) | | | Tasted by jdporter3 on 9/23/2023: We added this to the line up at our son’s wedding, although we cellared it for his younger sister who passed some years ago. It was an inspired choice and our guests were touched to be drinking her wine as well. I won’t rate yet, as we set it up with the 96 Talbot, which was quite excellent. What I will say is that a number of guests said that this wine gave the Talbot a run for its money and may get even better in the cellar. Hence, ignore my previous drinking note, as I must have had an off bottle! I am excited to see this evolve as we have two cases remaining. This wine brings back many happy memories. (1072 views) | | | Tasted by jdporter3 on 7/3/2023 & rated 89 points: Others’ notes are spot on. Past its prime, but still a nice wine. A bit of medicinal on the open and rounds out after about an hour decant. Definitely not a second day wine. We bought 3 cases for our daughter’s birth year/wedding and this will be great for a rehearsal dinner! (1339 views) | | | Tasted by Peter Spijker on 5/19/2023 & rated 91 points: Tasted in a line-up with '98, '99 and 2003. The 1998 was the best of the lot, very classic bordeaux with black fruit, cedar, cigar, some oak and fully integrated tannins. The 1999 was quite similar in style and characteristics, and was also lovely. The 2003 was underwhelming and dull, and I don't think it will develop into something better. (1588 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 1/20/2023 & rated 89 points: A very much a dark wine through and through from the dark fruited and brooding nose to the dark feel on the palate where it actually lacks the elegance that other 1998s have developed after a very difficult start in life. Good wine but really not at the top of the line. 89 (2233 views) | | | Tasted by Romz on 8/31/2022 & rated 90 points: Color - dark ruby to crimson core with brick colored rims at its edges. Nose - started a bit funky but can detect fading fruit of stewed plums & currants, bramble, followed with plenty of secondary & tertiary notes. Rustic pencil lead, wet tobacco leaf, old leather and layers of sweet spice. Palate - medium bodied classic claret with bright acidity. Surprisingly robust tannins with some grip. Velvety mouthfeel with mid-long finish. Lingering flavors with a touch of licorice, forest floor and peat. Delicious! (1919 views) | | | Tasted by Macdog on 6/17/2022: Lovely. Continues the theme of 1998 drinking wonderfully and showing characteristic freshness. Very impressive subtly on the nose. Pure across the palate. Dark fruit with subtle complexity. Decent length. At Goodman - ‘good value’ / QPR. A safa to start, this, and then 05 Ornellaia .. worked in that order! (2388 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 6/5/2022 & rated 92 points: Still young with vibrant fruit and tannins. (2208 views) | | | Tasted by liber on 5/31/2022 & rated 88 points: Chez K, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level - dusty ruby, brown rimmed; funky, earth, bramble and plum, bit confused; medium, slightly short, dry, grainy tannins prominent in mid palate leaving sense of lack of balance, dumb fruit which may not have vigour to absorb tannins, against that last glass best, risks but maybe upside, 10+ years. VG (16). (2116 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 2/27/2022 & rated 92 points: Cedar nose, fading fruit, quite tertiary but lots going on, gentle sweet spice, hints of leather and a touch of meat. Nice mature left bank claret. (2099 views) | | | Tasted by dannyg on 2/3/2022 & rated 92 points: The wine looks crimson colored. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, prune, fig, forest floor, mushroom, medicinal, lead pencil, nutmeg and clove. The body is medium. The wine has narrow texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. What I did like about this is you can open and drink it. Did not decant except for 30 minutes in bottle and to the glasses. (1636 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 2/1/2022 & rated 93 points: Contrary to the pundits, this is a young wine. 4 hour slo ox, one hour decant, and it could have used more, as the wine unfolded in the glass. Dark red, wonderful nose of red and dark fruits, a whiff of brett which blew off prior to drinking. Multiple secondary notes, balance and still present sweet tannins. Smooth mouthfeel. Plenty of fruit and tannin to see this for a good long while. Long finish. A joy to drink. (1482 views) | | | Tasted by Pubu on 1/13/2022 & rated 85 points: A very imbalanced wine. (1487 views) | | | Tasted by SixHedgehogs on 11/21/2021 & rated 92 points: Ruby red. Aroma of leather. Flavours of blackcurrant and apple. Hint of spice. Crisp, bone-dry. Great with food. (1811 views) | | | Tasted by steefbeef on 8/7/2021 & rated 94 points: Still very fruity with mild integrated tannins. Amazing nose with elegant smokey elements. Color still young. No amber. (1992 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 11/13/2020 & rated 93 points: Crisp acids and smooth tannins with classic Gruaud notes of leathers, funky earth and deep black cherry fruit. Complex and lifted and still quite young. Highly underrated vintage for this underrated Chateau. 93+ (3317 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 7/26/2020 & rated 93 points: Gruaud Larose is an over-achiever in this vintage. The nose is full of smoky black currants and sweet cassis. On the palate, it needs a good 2-hr decant and then smooths out and shows delicious flavors of black currants, smoky gravel and tobacco. The finish is still firm suggesting more aging is not a problem but it's amazing now with the decant. When GL hits like this, its the essence of left bank Bordeaux. 93+ (3312 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 3/16/2020 & rated 93 points: This is quite rich and smoky with wonderful dark red fruits and delicious funky earthy notes so representative of this vineyard. The finish is taut but complex with notes of red spices, sweet earth and graphite minerals. A perfect bottle and a big over-performer for the vintage on the left bank. The smoky funk of a Cordier wine is on full display here. (4091 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 2/28/2020: Generally this is a wine that would be right in my wheelhouse, but perhaps because of the seasoning in the meat (Korean BBQ) there was something that seemed a bit off about it. Almost like a middle soy or pepper that doesn't fit with the rest of the flavors and so changed the way the wine tasted. Good learning although I feel like we've done old Bordeaux in the past without an issue so maybe just this particular one? (3768 views) | | | Tasted by Calvero on 2/21/2020 & rated 92 points: Powerful, addictive scent w/ barnyard and dark berries, typical bordeaux. Still very fresh and lively, will hold for a while. Mouthfeel less intense but stylish. (3363 views) | | | Tasted by yhn on 1/28/2020: Fairly bretty. (2781 views) | | | Tasted by NickNYC on 1/21/2020 & rated 92 points: Spectacular nose, very complex, dark berries, cigar box, spices, mushrooms. A lot of intensity. On the palate the wine is light to medium bodied, very elegant. soft tanins and good acidity.
no hurry to drink. (2456 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 9/6/2019: out of the bottle this had a stink I identified as Brett. after being in the decanter for half an hour, the nose cleared up. this is in a very good spot with fruit and tertiary flavours providing considerable interest. So it probably wasn't Brett; let's say it's bottle stink. (2392 views) | | | Tasted by HarveyManfrenjensenden on 7/4/2019: Consumed straight out of the bottle. Nose far more vibrant than the last bottle some 9 months ago. I dare say it's even tasting better this time round . I'd almost written off this vintage as past its prime but this tasting has got me rethinking things! (2384 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, A Century of Bordeaux: The Eights (May 2018) (5/18/2018)
(Gruaud-larose Gruaud Larose Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (9/1/2016)
(Château Gruaud-Larose St.-Julien, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2000, IWC Issue #90
(Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JamesSuckling.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Gruaud Larose Producer website
Read more about Château Gruaud Larose -https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/gruaud-larose/
A visit to Château Gruaud Larose Beychelle-St-Julien estate, winery and vineyards -https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-visit-to-chateau-gruaud-larose.html 1998 Château Gruaud LaroseChateau Gruaud Larose, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux France
Over a million years ago, during the Quaternary period, a Günzian layer formed beneath all the grands crus classés of the Médoc and covered the Tertiary layer of chalk and clay. The geological structure of the soil at Gruaud-Larose is particularly rare consisting of a uniform layer of six metres of gravelly clay over the entire Domaine. The gravel creates acid soil, which, whilst being poor for agricultural purposes, enables good drainage, and provides excellent conditions for viticulture. In addition to the vines being encouraged to form deep roots to find water, the poor soil limits their growth and general vigour, thereby improving the concentration of sugar in the grapes.
Château Gruaud-Larose’s Domaine stretches over 200 uninterrupted acres and consists of more than 700,000 vines. The current proportions of the different grape varieties grown are 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The quantities of each variety used in the wines vary from year to year, enabling greater complexity.
Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of the Médoc grapes, is traditionally the main variety used in the wines of the region. Its proportion varies between 40 and 60%.
Merlot has become the main grape of the Gironde, and whilst synonymous with St. Emilion and Pomerol it has remained in the minority in the Médoc. Although a secondary ingredient in the grand vin of Gruaud Larose, Merlot still makes an important contribution to the wine’s remarkable complexity.
Cabernet Franc, also known as Breton and Bouchet, is a very old French variety. Well-suited to wines that will mature over a long period, Cabernet Franc can produce fine wines of great complexity.
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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