1986 Château Gruaud Larose

Community Tasting Notes (705) Avg Score: 93.2 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View jkwoodward's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/20/2024 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Beautiful as always. Still with amazing fruit.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Papies's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/6/2024 - Papies wrote: 93 Points

  Lizzie St Supper Club (Lizzie St, London): We decanted as the cork broke but we would not suggest a long decant as the wine ( albeit an 86) can be fragile especially from questionable bottles like ours. But joyful for those who like us reminisce these old classics. Well aged , fully mature but healthy and alive. Our bottle felt like a 92-93 but frankly the wine can score much higher from better sourced specimens.

  3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • View Ben Christiansen's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/8/2024 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

  A little touch musty on the nose, and not as fruited as the others, but still showing. Needs to open up touch of all things.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View sdr's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/17/2024 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Outstanding Gruaud. Intense and concentrated. Big flavors of dark cherry. Still young but ready to appreciate. A hint of sweetness. No Cordier funk in this bottle. Delicious wine.

  3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View BellevuePhil's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/9/2024 - BellevuePhil Likes this wine: 95 Points

  The year was 1986, triumph and tragedy.
  
  The world witnessed the launch of the Space Station Mir by the Soviet Union, the exhilarating victory of Argentina in the FIFA World Cup held in Mexico, the awe-inspiring return of Halley's Comet and let’s not forget the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
  
  And of course my 16th birthday which unfortunately and fortunately was spent alone 220 miles north of Fairbanks in a village with no name due to my adventurer father who ran out of gas in his Piper cub…searching for Don Sheldon’s (the bush pilots) lost bag.
  
  Stranded, we walked to the village.
  
  The 1986 Château Gruaud Larose is a true masterpiece of winemaking, a vintage that embodies elegance, complexity, and timeless allure. With each sip, one is transported to the sun-drenched vineyards of Bordeaux, where the grapes ripened under the watchful gaze of the Gironde estuary.
  
  This wine pours a deep, garnet hue, hinting at the depth and richness that awaits within the glass. On the nose, it offers an enticing bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, dark cherries, and hints of cedar and tobacco, layered with subtle notes of leather and earthiness. It is a symphony of aromas that captivates the senses and promises a truly indulgent experience.
  
  I closed my eyes and I recalled the warmth of the sun kissing my skin as I frolicked with a young native girl who spoke no English, yet possessed a tanned body which I will never forget amidst the luscious blueberry bushes. Together, we reveled in the simple pleasures of life, rolling in the tart sweetness of the berries until our bodies were stained with their vibrant hues. In the stillness of the evening, we sought refuge in a weathered canoe, hidden away from the world as reindeer leaped gracefully over our makeshift sanctuary.
  
  It was in that moment of serenity that I cracked open two bottles of this precious wine, liberated from my fathers plane bag, that he had stolen from the Pump House in Fairbanks, our only companions in the wilderness. With no glasses to separate us from the liquid ambrosia, I corked it with a buck knife and we drank deeply, savoring each exquisite sip as if it were the elixir of life itself.
  
  The finish is long and lingering, leaving behind echoes of dark fruit and subtle oak, a testament to the wine's impeccable balance and structure. This is a wine that demands to be savored, a true expression of the terroir from which it hails. Wine to me is a living memory and tonight, alone in my Bellevue home with my bearskin rug and my 64 Fender amp glowing red, I uncorked this bottle and my mind drifted back to a summer's eve in June, amidst the rugged beauty of Alaska's Brooks Range.
  
  The 1986 Chateau Gruaud Larose my friends, when allowed to open like a young flower of the spring, is a symphony of the senses, a voyage through time and space that transcends the boundaries of mere mortal existence.
  
  As the deep crimson liquid cascades into my glass, I am reminded of the vibrant hues of the blueberries that once stained my skin, a testament to the untamed beauty of nature's bounty. With each swirl and sniff, I am greeted by a bouquet of aromas that evoke memories long forgotten yet forever cherished summer love between a white boy and a native girl.
  
  The taste, oh the memories, and oh the taste of this wine tonight! It is like nectar from the gods, a tantalizing blend of sweetness and depth that caresses my palate with every sip. It is as if I am reliving that moment in the canoe, hidden away from the world, with only the reindeer and the northern lights as our witnesses.
  
  And though time may have faded her image, and reality may have diverged from fantasy, this wine remains a steadfast reminder of the passion and adventure that once defined my existence. So here's to you, my dear friends, and to the journey that lies ahead. May we savor every moment, as we savor every sip of this divine elixir. Cheers!
  
  NOTE TO SELF DECANT 3 HOURS. (I DECANTED FOR TWO, BUT MAN SHE OPENED OVER THE NEXT HOUR)

  6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)

View all 705 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.