Lovely classically styled aromas of black raspberry, pencil lead, leather and youthful oak spice notes lead to a medium bodied, mouthful of blackberry and tobacco flavors that linger.
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Poised and seductive bouquet, featuring equal parts red and purple fruits, violets, blackcurrant, wafting hints of berry liqueurs, wintergreen, blackstrap molasses, and graphite. Appealing nuanced, noteworthy range.
Generous, and revealing subtle power, in the form of serious acid and medium tannins. Compact and inflection changing. The finish lingers nicely.
Seven to ten+ years from maturity. Recommend holding bottles for three to five years. Improvement seems possible. 93-94.
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Coravin into small decanter 1 hour before drinking but did have an initial initial taste and swirl taste and all seemed ok but a little closed at first.
Drank a small taste and then a glass from the decanted and it was nice, tried to go back to Coravin for another sip and it was still tight so it needs a good hour (or more). Nice Garnet color, lighter it seems to me than the LP or Gloria recently tasted from same appellation and vintage. Aroma comes out a bit with a little air and is a light one with some smoke, earthiness and a tiny bit of wood. Lighter in style by color and on first mouthfeel than I expected on the first sip. Seems to get a bit more body with air as well but just not a dense wine at this stage. Flavor profile does vary with time in the glass. There are some tart red fruits in the background. Medium acidity. Fine tannins which I think some might call "dusty". Some pepper comes through. I suspect this wine will improve. Frankly at this stage, I prefer both the LP and the Gloria so I will probably hold the rest of these for a while and follow others who are tasting over time and then decide when to try again. I'm not convinced this one has the stuffing to go the long haul but it's hard to say. That said, even though I'm no expert, I have read that Gruaud has a reputation for inconsistency. While I have little experience with recent vintages, certainly there is a huge difference across vintages in this wine in my experience having had the privilege of tasting the amazing 1982 in the past and also unusual vintages such as the 1981 and 1996. I find this variety interesting and I do enjoy the funkiness this wine sometimes has to a point but I suspect that the style of some of the vintages of GL (like the 1996) will not appeal to many people, even lovers of St. Julien. Will update this when I open the bottle and pour the last half or more of this bottle which will be soon but for now-91+
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Leathery tobacco and pronounced Oak notes aplenty for this St Julien, perhaps it was the lesser 2014 vintage or the fact that this wine was served at room temperature (too warm!) that didn't allow it to showcase its values. Great nose nevertheless and wonderful Seapark ???? Hokkien Mee helped!
Thanks for the treat KN, lockdown Day 4 over here ??
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Pretty balanced, light to medium-bodied, drinking well already. Has a slight bit of smoke that I often find with St. Julien, with producers like Talbot and St. Pierre. Held up very well on the 2nd day - nice acidity, delicate and enticing.
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I find the 2014 Gruaud Larose very charming in a classical way; medium-weight raspberry, pencil, cedar, and leather nose without any of the dirty Cordier notes of the 80s. Terrific persistence on the finish with wonderfully rich fruit. Should still improve from here, but this is already drinking surprisingly well now. 58% CS, 29% M, 8% CF 5% PV.
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From 375ml. Very appealing despite its youth. Expressive bouquet of blueberries and cedar, silky tannins balanced with precise fruit on the palate. The estate underwent changes in 2008 so less of the funkiness that’s associated with older vintages but the wine still has a pleasant earthiness.
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Deep, ruby Clean, medium intensity, clove, chocolate, tobacco leaves, black plum, prune, black currant Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin (soft), medium+ alcohol, medium intensity, medium+ body, medium+ finish Very good, drink now with potential for aging
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Sleeping, but with coaxing you find cedar, pepper, cassis and earthy cherries, the wine is classic in nature, with firm tannins and ageworthy red fruits.. The wine was made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
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-- decanted 1hour before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: dark, yet high-toned at 1 hour mark (initial whiff); a bit smoky.
BODY: violet-garnet color of great depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: fine tannin; medium+ acidity; 13% alc. not noticeable. This was a tester bottle for me – to see if I wanted to sock some away in the cellar – and it is reflective of its vintage, which I enjoy, but I'm simply not enjoying it as much as I have other '14s. Dark-fruited and a bit earthy; lacks focus --- not impressed at the 1.5 hour mark; stony note emerged when paired with Hungarian goulash; *not* bretty; I much prefer the cheaper Malsecot from a week or two prior, as does Ashley. Gruaud is a Pass for me in this vintage. But, if you have 'em, I'd recommending Holding for now. gut impression score: 90 – 91.
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Tasted over three days, the first two alongside the same vintage Leoville Barton, and all three alongside a 2010 Sociando-Mallet. This was the lightest (color and body), freshest, and most open of the three. The bouquet charmed from the outset, offering a firm mélange of sweet, tangy, and tart red fruits, acerola, rosehips, raspberry leaf and hibiscus teas, cut red flowers, and high toned minerality. The same elements show on the palate, conveyed through precisely cut red precious stone tension and smoothness. Ultra juicy, ridiculously appealing! The wine features harmonious medium plus acid, light dusty and tannins, and light oak treatment.
The wine held the same form over all three days, showing more purple fruits on the second and third. No suggesting of reticence, and though high-pitched, imminently approachable. The wine should hold its form for no less than ten to twelve years.
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I have had my fair share of great Gruaud Larose vintages but also some slightly disappointing bottles. This is a very good Bordeaux but a slight underperformer considering its great terroir and this surprisingly very good vintage. Notes of barnyard, horse saddle (but integrated), some dark and red berries, tobacco, cedar wood. It's medium-bodied with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannin. Good length. Silky texture.
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Medium bodied, earthy, cranberry, blackberry in character, this is a classic style of Bordeaux, with a lot of freshness, tobacco and cedar in its personality.
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UGC TASTING San Francisco Vintage 2014, nose of dark fruit, saddle leather, cigar box, and dust, same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, nothing bad but below my expectation given past great vintages/bottles of this wine, needs 4 years to peak, soft tannins present, and a long finish.
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Brief note from walkaround tasting. Very approachable today, some folks thought this had a green streak but I didn't get that. Med+ acidity, very good concentration. My favorite from St. Julien today.
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UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Dense black fruit and baking spice on nose and palate. Firm most of the way through, then softening on long finish. Cellarworthy, 91-92 point potential.
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UGC Bordeaux 2014 Vintage (Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia): tasted at large walkaround tasting. dark aromatics of chocolate, coffee, black cherry, and vanilla. med(-) tannin -- wish there was a touch more, but this is outstanding as is. medium(+) finish
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11/19/2023 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely classically styled aromas of black raspberry, pencil lead, leather and youthful oak spice notes lead to a medium bodied, mouthful of blackberry and tobacco flavors that linger.
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11/11/2023 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Poised and seductive bouquet, featuring equal parts red and purple fruits, violets, blackcurrant, wafting hints of berry liqueurs, wintergreen, blackstrap molasses, and graphite. Appealing nuanced, noteworthy range.
Generous, and revealing subtle power, in the form of serious acid and medium tannins. Compact and inflection changing. The finish lingers nicely.
Seven to ten+ years from maturity. Recommend holding bottles for three to five years. Improvement seems possible. 93-94.
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3/19/2023 - ANWW89 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good potential. Quite decent already but more should come with time
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1/29/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Felt a bit closed and brooding like many of the '14s, this one probably needs more time to show more charm.
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1/17/2023 - tonio k. Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aus der halben Flasche. Jetzt wunderbar auf dem Punkt!
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10/17/2022 - HWG99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great balance. Start to show finest and it has what you want for this wine. Interesting aroma of violet and berries, medium body , long finishing.
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8/12/2022 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Coravin into small decanter 1 hour before drinking but did have an initial initial taste and swirl taste and all seemed ok but a little closed at first.
Drank a small taste and then a glass from the decanted and it was nice, tried to go back to Coravin for another sip and it was still tight so it needs a good hour (or more). Nice Garnet color, lighter it seems to me than the LP or Gloria recently tasted from same appellation and vintage. Aroma comes out a bit with a little air and is a light one with some smoke, earthiness and a tiny bit of wood. Lighter in style by color and on first mouthfeel than I expected on the first sip. Seems to get a bit more body with air as well but just not a dense wine at this stage. Flavor profile does vary with time in the glass. There are some tart red fruits in the background. Medium acidity. Fine tannins which I think some might call "dusty". Some pepper comes through. I suspect this wine will improve. Frankly at this stage, I prefer both the LP and the Gloria so I will probably hold the rest of these for a while and follow others who are tasting over time and then decide when to try again. I'm not convinced this one has the stuffing to go the long haul but it's hard to say. That said, even though I'm no expert, I have read that Gruaud has a reputation for inconsistency. While I have little experience with recent vintages, certainly there is a huge difference across vintages in this wine in my experience having had the privilege of tasting the amazing 1982 in the past and also unusual vintages such as the 1981 and 1996. I find this variety interesting and I do enjoy the funkiness this wine sometimes has to a point but I suspect that the style of some of the vintages of GL (like the 1996) will not appeal to many people, even lovers of St. Julien. Will update this when I open the bottle and pour the last half or more of this bottle which will be soon but for now-91+
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11/7/2021 - emcglade Likes this wine: 94 Points
Loved it
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7/4/2021 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine:
Wonderful Bordeaux that's drinking beautifully. Pleasant fruit, nice acidity with balanced tannins that play well with food.
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6/4/2021 - Juliansi wrote:
Leathery tobacco and pronounced Oak notes aplenty for this St Julien, perhaps it was the lesser 2014 vintage or the fact that this wine was served at room temperature (too warm!) that didn't allow it to showcase its values. Great nose nevertheless and wonderful Seapark ???? Hokkien Mee helped!
Thanks for the treat KN, lockdown Day 4 over here ??
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6/4/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Pretty balanced, light to medium-bodied, drinking well already. Has a slight bit of smoke that I often find with St. Julien, with producers like Talbot and St. Pierre. Held up very well on the 2nd day - nice acidity, delicate and enticing.
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5/3/2020 - Axelpeter wrote: 92 Points
Zh) tiefes Granatrot, leicht transparent. Korken gebrochen. Erste Schlucke (kühl): Komplexe Frucht, Cassis- betont, leichte Bitternote mit fester Säure, klassischer Bordeaux, bleibt eher auf der männlich-herben Seite...
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10/1/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
I find the 2014 Gruaud Larose very charming in a classical way; medium-weight raspberry, pencil, cedar, and leather nose without any of the dirty Cordier notes of the 80s. Terrific persistence on the finish with wonderfully rich fruit. Should still improve from here, but this is already drinking surprisingly well now. 58% CS, 29% M, 8% CF 5% PV.
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7/20/2019 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
From 375ml. Very appealing despite its youth. Expressive bouquet of blueberries and cedar, silky tannins balanced with precise fruit on the palate. The estate underwent changes in 2008 so less of the funkiness that’s associated with older vintages but the wine still has a pleasant earthiness.
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10/9/2018 - christiecsa wrote:
Deep, ruby
Clean, medium intensity, clove, chocolate, tobacco leaves, black plum, prune, black currant
Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin (soft), medium+ alcohol, medium intensity, medium+ body, medium+ finish
Very good, drink now with potential for aging
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9/17/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Sleeping, but with coaxing you find cedar, pepper, cassis and earthy cherries, the wine is classic in nature, with firm tannins and ageworthy red fruits.. The wine was made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
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6/11/2018 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted 1hour before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: dark, yet high-toned at 1 hour mark (initial whiff); a bit smoky.
BODY: violet-garnet color of great depth; medium bodied.
TASTE: fine tannin; medium+ acidity; 13% alc. not noticeable. This was a tester bottle for me – to see if I wanted to sock some away in the cellar – and it is reflective of its vintage, which I enjoy, but I'm simply not enjoying it as much as I have other '14s. Dark-fruited and a bit earthy; lacks focus --- not impressed at the 1.5 hour mark; stony note emerged when paired with Hungarian goulash; *not* bretty; I much prefer the cheaper Malsecot from a week or two prior, as does Ashley. Gruaud is a Pass for me in this vintage. But, if you have 'em, I'd recommending Holding for now. gut impression score: 90 – 91.
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12/24/2017 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Tasted over three days, the first two alongside the same vintage Leoville Barton, and all three alongside a 2010 Sociando-Mallet. This was the lightest (color and body), freshest, and most open of the three. The bouquet charmed from the outset, offering a firm mélange of sweet, tangy, and tart red fruits, acerola, rosehips, raspberry leaf and hibiscus teas, cut red flowers, and high toned minerality. The same elements show on the palate, conveyed through precisely cut red precious stone tension and smoothness. Ultra juicy, ridiculously appealing! The wine features harmonious medium plus acid, light dusty and tannins, and light oak treatment.
The wine held the same form over all three days, showing more purple fruits on the second and third. No suggesting of reticence, and though high-pitched, imminently approachable. The wine should hold its form for no less than ten to twelve years.
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11/24/2017 - pipetree wrote: flawed
No 20, volatile acidity, alcohol. Medium+ acidity, medium+ alcohol, medium firm tannin, licorice and plum.
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3/11/2017 - NostraBacchus wrote: 91 Points
I have had my fair share of great Gruaud Larose vintages but also some slightly disappointing bottles. This is a very good Bordeaux but a slight underperformer considering its great terroir and this surprisingly very good vintage.
Notes of barnyard, horse saddle (but integrated), some dark and red berries, tobacco, cedar wood. It's medium-bodied with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannin. Good length. Silky texture.
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2/2/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied, earthy, cranberry, blackberry in character, this is a classic style of Bordeaux, with a lot of freshness, tobacco and cedar in its personality.
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1/27/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
UGC TASTING San Francisco Vintage 2014, nose of dark fruit, saddle leather, cigar box, and dust, same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, nothing bad but below my expectation given past great vintages/bottles of this wine, needs 4 years to peak, soft tannins present, and a long finish.
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1/27/2017 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, medium intensity, brighter dark red fruit, excellent acidity, fine structure, more elegant. Quite tasty already, earlier drinker?
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1/26/2017 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Intensity on nose
Softish tannins, juicy black bramble fruit, working well already, but better in 5 years
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1/26/2017 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Brief note from walkaround tasting. Very approachable today, some folks thought this had a green streak but I didn't get that. Med+ acidity, very good concentration. My favorite from St. Julien today.
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1/25/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote:
UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Dense black fruit and baking spice on nose and palate. Firm most of the way through, then softening on long finish. Cellarworthy, 91-92 point potential.
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1/22/2017 - ews3 wrote: 93 Points
UGC Bordeaux 2014 Vintage (Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia): tasted at large walkaround tasting. dark aromatics of chocolate, coffee, black cherry, and vanilla. med(-) tannin -- wish there was a touch more, but this is outstanding as is. medium(+) finish
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4/16/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
With a medium body and soft tannins, this wine is fresh, earthy and laced with crisp, crunch of fresh red and black fruits. 90-92 Pts
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