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Chateau Gruaud-Larose

The exact origins of Chateau Gruaud-Larose are unknown, as direct references to the estate and its owners do not appear until the early 18th century. The knight Joseph Stanislas Gruaud is generally credited with the first steps towards the creation of the estate we know today as Gruaud-Larose, in 1725 or thereabouts, but it is two later Gruauds that are best described in the history books. These two descendents of Joseph Stanislas, one a magistrate and the other a priest, owned a number of vineyards which they amalgamated into a single estate which amounted to an admirable 116 hectares. This was named Fond-Bedeau, and the wine was bottles as two separate cuvées, Abbé Gruaud and Chevalier de Gruaud, belonging to the priest and to the magistrate respectively. The Chevalier de Gruaud was a well known eccentric who not only built a watch-tower over the vineyards so as to observe his workers, he would also raise a British, German or other national flag over the estate after each harvest in order to indicate who should buy the wine according to its style. He also sold his wine by auction in the centre of Bordeaux, and when unsuccessful his unusual tactic of then raising the price of the unsold wine seemed to only encourage further purchases.

The Chevalier de Gruaud met his death in 1778, and the estate passed to his son-in-law, Joseph-Sébastian de La Rose, who bought up those parts inherited by others. Appending his name to that of the property produced Gruaud-Larose, which has remained this estate's title ever since. La Rose was Lieutenant-Governor of Guyenne, and had little time to spend at either Gruaud-Larose or his other estate nearby, Chateau Larose-Trintaudon. Nevertheless the wine remained good and was popular with the nobility at it was La Rose that claimed his wine was "Le Roi des Vins, le Vin des Rois", a declaration that remains on the label to this day. Sadly he saw less than two decades in charge of Gruaud-Larose, as in 1795 he too died leaving the estate to his heirs. It remained with the La Rose family until 1812 when the property was auctioned off in order to pay for the family's legal bills. The purchaser was a consortium of three, Pierre Balguerie, Baron Jean Auguste Sarget and David Verdonnet. The latter subsequently died, and his portion was sold to the other two owners, and for the next fifty or so years Gruaud-Larose was managed jointly by the two families.

Pierre Balguerie went on to marry Sophie Stuttenberg, and of their three children two survived to marry and subsequently inherit the estate when their father died. These were Marie Henriette, who married Charles Alexandre de Bethmann, and Marie Clémence, who was wed to François Edouard Lemercier de Boisregard. Thus by the time of the 1855 classification, when the estate was ranked as a second growth, the property was once again divided between three owners, with the two daughters controlling one half, and Baron Sarget the other. With the subsequent death of Marie Henriette de Bethmann and the inheritance of her portion by her three children, the ownership became more complex, and the property was split into two in 1867. One half remained with Baron Sarget, and was known as Chateau Gruaud-Larose-Sarget. The other remained with the Bethmann descendants, Marie Clémence de Boisregard having died without an heir; of these one died, and the other was eventually bought out by the third sibling, Sophie, who married Adrien Faure. Thus this half of the original estate became known as Chateau Gruaud-Larose-Faure. The split came about in 1867, and for over half a century the two halves were managed as two distinct entities by their respective owners. Baron Sarget seems to have had more success than the Faure family, building the fine chateau that still graces the reunited property today.

The 20th century opened with the estate still divided, although with the purchase of both halves by the Cordier group this situation was not to last much longer. The Sarget portion was sold by its then owner Adrienne Lavielle, Baronne Sarget de Lafontaine, in 1917; in 1935 the Faure portion was sold by the Faure descendants. Gruaud-Larose was whole once more, and has remained so ever since. The estate was part of the Cordier portfolio, along with other top properties such as Lafaurie Peyraguey and Talbot, for much of the 20th century. In 1983, however, it was sold, and was subsequently passed from pillar to post in a number of rapidly successive transactions. It was first purchased by Compagnie de Suez, a French bank, before being sold on to the French multinational firm Alcatel-Alsthom just a decade later. Within just four years, in 1997, Chateau Gruaud-Larose was purchased by another important Bordeaux family headed up by Jacques Merlaut, who has put together a portfolio of properties under the Taillan Group. Merlaut is a relative newcomer to Bordeaux, having worked in the region as a négociant in the 1960s, but he began to purchase properties in 1976, starting with Chasse-Spleen. The Group, which includes his granddaughter Claire Villars, now also own Chateau La Gurgue, Chateau Haut Bages Liberal, Chateau Citran and Chateau Ferrière, among others.

The Gruaud-Larose estate amounts to 150 hectares of the St Julien appellation, of which 82 hectares are planted to vines; the bulk of the estate lies around Baron Sarget's chateau, separated from the Gironde by the small village of Beychevelle, and sandwiched between the vineyards of Branaire-Ducru and Lagrange. The terroir is typical for the region, deep Quaternary gravel, planted with 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The vines average around 45 years of age, and are planted at a density of 10000 vines/ha. The fruit, harvested by hand, is managed by a winemaking team overseen by Jacques Merlaut's son, Jean. Technical director at the property since 1970, however, is Georges Pauli; he has stayed on through difficult times at Gruaud-Larose, as it passed through the hands of different owners, but he has benefited from continued investment particularly by Alcatel-Alsthom who funded the construction of two new cellars with wooden fermentation vats and a new grape reception room to improve handling and quality of the fruit at harvest time. Nevertheless Pauli must take much of the credit for the maintenance of quality at Gruaud-Larose despite the rapid sequence of new owners and the uncertainty these changes bring.

The fruit is sorted then undergoes a cold-soak prior to temperature controlled fermentation in a mixture of wooden and concrete vats, with pumping over of the fermenting must twice a day. Then up to a third of the vintage undergoes malolactic in oak barrels, before ageing the entire wine in Alliers and Nevers oak (up to 50% new) for eighteen months, and there is a light fining and filtration before bottling. The grand vin is Chateau Gruaud-Larose, of which there are about 25000 cases produced per annum, and the second wine, introduced in 1979, is Sarget de Gruaud-Larose, of which about 16000 cases are produced. Obviously the exact proportions varies with the quality of the vintage.

Gruaud-Larose has often been described as a super-second, placing it in with the group of Deuxième Cru Classé properties that challenge the elite Premier Cru Classé estates for supremacy in Bordeaux. I must confess that whereas I see the quality in Gruaud-Larose, which has long been produced in a firm, masculine style, more recently with perhaps more finesse, I do not think it the leading challenger just yet; that title falls to Léoville-Las-Cases. Nevertheless the wines are consistently good, and even in dubious vintages such as 1991, 1992 (although not so convincing on my most recent tasting) and 1993, they can be a source of unexpected pleasure; no doubt we have the skills of Pauli to thank for this. But the wine only occasionally hits the dizzy heights expected of a first growth, in vintages such as 1990, which is generally regarded as an outstanding wine, and 2000 which was certainly close to the required quality when tasted in 2003, sufficiently so for me to put away another six in the cellar. (16/7/03, updated 5/10/06)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Gruaud-Larose, 33250 St-Julien-Beychevelle
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 73 15 20
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 59 64 72
Internet: www.gruaud-larose.com

Chateau Gruaud-Larose - Tasting Notes

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Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2009: Another wonderfully vibrant youthful hue here. Well-framed fruit on the nose, dark, a touch smoky, with nice concentration suggested. Also some spicy fruit complexity. The palate has some good well-defined fruit, although in a slightly lush style. Very well integrated though, velvety tannins, but overall bright, vigorous and concentrated. Good sappy flavours on the finish. Fair length. Really good promise here, and possibly good value too. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 17-18+/20 (March 2010)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2008: This has a paler hue than the other wines of this commune, and the nose is more meaty and less fresh, with some chalky red fruits. It has a nice elegant entry though, wit supple red fruit, although it is leaner and harder than the other wines. Pretty but slightly chewy tannins; this wine is certainly rowing in a different stream to the rest of the commune in this vintage! From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2009)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2007: A nice depth of character on the nose here, especially when compared with the rest of the appellation. Fresh, with just a touch of oak spice. A supple palate, nicely composed, with a gentle ripe structure. Lightly fleshy, all very gentle though, with a little violet fruit. Overall, an attractive wine. From a tasting of 2007 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2009)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2007: This has beautiful fruit on the nose, with exotic notes of cashew nut and liquorice over the oak. A good texture on the palate, supple and even a little silky. Underneath, a rather firm core of tannin; it has a firmness as a result, but it is balanced and has good acidity. This is attractive and appealing, and potentially one of the better wines of the appellation based on this sample. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)

Larose de Gruaud 2007: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 5% and Petit Verdot 5%. Iron fruit on the nose here, dark and restrained, lightly crunchy, tinged with violets. The palate has a lean elegance, well composed but not particularly concentrated. It has a rather solid outer shell, but I can't deny that it is attractively fresh and clean for the vintage. Just over-priced, that's all. From a 2010 Bibendum tasting. 15.5+/20 (March 2010)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2006: Blackberry fruit on the nose, with a slightly nutty element from the oak alongside. It seems a little flashy and exuberant on entry, but then shows a leaner and more gently composed midpalate. Underneath there is dense, ripe, fairly firm structure. There are some appealing notes here, although it is outclassed by other second growths here and in Pauillac in this vintage. From a tasting of 2006 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2008)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2006: Opened seconds before pouring, rather closed, and this may affect the assessment. Just a little stone and chalk edged fruit. It has a touch more flesh than some of the other wines. It is certainly attractive, with a ripe coating of tannins, quite fresh, and nicely composed. To be critical it lacks compelling vigour and direction, which a number of the better wines of the commune display, but still a good Gruaud. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 15-16/20 (April 2007)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2005: An evolving and elegant nose here, with aromas of tea leaf and woody berry fruit dominating, It seems very well defined and bright. Quite some substance when it arrives on the palate, broad and quite creamy but with a very polished surface. Not fat or overly fleshy but rather a defined wine with very linear edges. I adore the maturing character present on the nose, although it does also worry me a little for being present at this stage; it is rather forward. Nevertheless the palate is more youthful in structure, so this has time in hand yet I think. This is a good effort from the team at Gruaud. From a 2005 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 18+/20 (November 2009)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2005: The nose here suggests sweetness, perhaps reflecting the layer of warm, honey-tinged oak, but also plenty of sweetly ripe fruit, presented in a very dense, dark fashion. The palate shows an elegant structure, but it does not have the rich structure or concentration as some of its peers within the commune. Nevertheless it has a pure and seamless nature, with well covered and well judged tannins. Very good. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 17+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2005: CS 60%, M 30%, CF 5.5%, PV 3%, Malbec 1.5%. Nice colour, not the depth that some others exhibit, with a good purple-blue rim. Rather restrained nose, showing some good black fruits. Middleweight palate, rather typical of Gruaud, chunky and bordering on foursquare. The tannins appear on the back of the palate, and there is correct acidity. Everything is in place, but there is no flair or passion here. Nevertheless, a nicely assembled wine. From my 2005 Bordeaux en primeur tasting. 16-17/20 (April 2006)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2004: This has an attractive, mineral-stony fruit character on the nose. First impressions on the palate indicate this is a touch leaner than some wines of comparable or greater classification, but through the midpalate it shows a good and elegant style, not very dense or rich, but more of a well polished middleweight. There is a firm, tight core of grippy tannins, plenty of pepper and spice, and lots of elegant Gruaud fruit nicely held together with a complex, slightly exotic twist. Nicely balanced. Very good indeed. From a 2004 Bordeaux tasting at four years of age. 17+/20 (November 2008)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2004: A firm, meaty, classically Gruaud nose with great depth of character. Firm and very tannic structure with a lovely presence on the palate; fine fruit, with a complex, meaty style. The tannins round with a flourish on the finish. This has lovely typicité. Very good indeed, with plenty of potential. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 16+/20 (October 2006)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2004: An attractive, deep colour when poured in the glass. On the nose it presents slightly hot, stewed fruit, with a slightly pruney character; I find this to be teetering on the brink of an acceptable fruit profile. Quite decent style on the palate, though, amply texture with a good weight, a ripe tannic structure and really rather fine acidity. Nicely balanced, and lovely flavours here. Despite the edgy nose, which hopefully will develop with maturation, I like this. Very good. Needs 8-12 years. 17+/20 (April 2006)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2003: An expressive nose here, with ripe dark cherry fruit. This has classic masculine Gruaud on the palate, with a very firm core of tannins running through a more supple, near seamless presence of fruit. It has decent acidity too. For fans of the style, this might just do. Good. From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 16+/20 (October 2005)

Sarget de Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2001: The second wine of Gruaud-Larose. Early maturity is evident on inspection here, and the nose has more appeal than the 2000 at present, showing an attractive, perfumed character with flower petals scattered over meaty Cabernet fruit. There is a nicely rounded nature to the composition, and here it is also a little more flattering than the previous vintage. It has attractive flavours and correct acidity, giving an appealing, savoury finish. Better for drinking now than the 2000, although that will be the greater wine in the long run I think. From the 2007 CIVB tasting. 15.5+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2000: What fantastic opportunity to taste the 2000 vintage, of which I have a number of bottles cellared, having split a case with a friend. Although tasted blind this wine sticks out like a sore thumb. It is an impressive looking, opaque, glossy wine. Intense, smoky, mineral-laced blackcurrant fruit on the nose, with real depth of aroma. The palate is firm, stuffed with tannins, but it also has plenty of concentration, texture and very primary fruit. Marvellous potential here. First growth quality. Don't touch another for ten years at least. 19+/20 (July 2003)

Sarget de Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 2000: The second wine of Gruaud-Larose. There is some appeal on the nose here, the wine is clearly just beginning to show some secondary characteristics. Notes of iron, and a rather reserved and lean layer of red fruit. On the palate there is a nice weight, and it still shows a pile of tannin. Clean finish. In all honesty I am a touch disappointed as the grand vin is monumental in this vintage, but this is fairly good nevertheless. I also think it has the potential to show better in the future. From the 2007 CIVB tasting. 15+/20 (October 2007)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1999: A dark red-purple, glossy appearance. On the nose it has sweet, slightly confected blackcurrant and cherry fruit. The palate has bags of structure, with plenty of sweet, ripe, concentrated fruit. Massive tannins. Very backward. Needs seven to ten years. 16+/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1995: This wine has a dense red hue, with a rim showing some maturity. Somewhat diffuse, muddy fruit on the nose, difficult to pin down. Full and rounded on the palate, medium bodied, with roasted fruits. There is a structure that needs to integrate, the tannins are still quite evident, matched by correct acidity. Overall it seems dull, withdrawn. Not showing very well at present, this wine needs another three to five years at least. 16+/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1993: This is a vibrant, purple-red wine, a touch glossy. Burnt sugar, caramel and toffee aromas, all oak-derived, dominate the nose. It has immediate appeal on the palate though. Medium bodied at best, but with a creamy edged texture. Still has obvious structure, with quite a bit of tannin, especially on the finish. Fresh acidity. Sweet, almost exotic, caramel and wood influenced palate. Would drink with food now, but on its own it needs time - another two to three years at least. 15.5+/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1992: From magnum. A attractive, very mature colour here, but rather low in density. Nice character on the nose, an array of mature aromas from hanging beef through to iron and blood. This promises at least something of worth on the palate, but what a disappointment. This is a hollow, lean, detached wine, rapidly entering a state of dissociation. Perhaps surprisingly as from a large format, this is significantly more advanced than the bottle of same tasted in 2003. Certainly not one for the cellar! 12.5/20 (April 2006)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1992: This wine is showing a little age, with an earthy tinge to what is otherwise a dark, densely coloured wine. It's quite exotic and developed on the nose though, with some dense, tarry fruit, and also quite apparent oak-derived toffee and smoke. Very fluid on the palate, balanced, on the light side which is appropriate. Attractive, well rounded, almost seamless. Still has good fruit, and cigar-smoke. Still has a touch of tannin on the endpalate, but otherwise quite ready. Drinking now and over the next few years. Impressive for the vintage. 15/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1991: This is the first in a trio of vintages which ranged from unsuccessful to a washout. Still youthful on inspection. The nose still has fruit, with a dense and seemingly chewy character. Elegant on entry, with a fluid midpalate. There's plenty of structure, with a firm tannic backbone, and a good texture. It has good fruit, although it's not packed with character or flavour. Firm, spicy, tannin-laced finish. An impressive effort for the vintage. 15/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1988: Skipping some successful vintages we arrive at 1988. This wine is a complete contrast to the preceding two. It is dark, glossy almost, with fine, claretty fruit on the nose. A touch of exoticism too. Firm, upright, and structured on the palate - a classic Gruaud set-up. It doesn't have immediate appeal, but is clearly set up for further development in the cellar. The texture is a touch creamy, with plenty of sugary-sweet fruit, and piles of mouth-puckering tannin. Like the 1979, I wonder whether this wine will ever emerge from beneath all that tannin. 18/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1988: Another deep red wine, with tremendous length again. Initially the nose has a rubbery component, but the aroma quickly blew off so this seems to be just 'bottle-stink'. Good fruit otherwise. On the palate a huge body, very weighty, with smoke and tobacco elements. Well balanced. A lovely wine. From a Bordeaux 1988 blind horizontal tasting. 18/20 (May 2000)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1981: This next wine has a slightly less impressive colour. Not very expressive on the nose, with some sweet and mature fruit showing just a little. There's plenty of structure on the palate here, which has more tannin than the previous wine, unfortunately with fading fruit. There's still some texture and the wine has character. It drinks well, but is drying out. One of the weaker wines of the tasting. Drink now. 15/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1979: This, the oldest wine in the tasting, does not have the most elderly appearance. It is obviously mature, but has good density. It has a slightly exotic, mature, spicy nose, which offers some gamey, meaty aromas. On entry it seems somewhat hollow at first, but it opens out on the midpalate to reveal elegant, mature, gamey fruit. It has a lovely fluidity and balance, with correct acidity. Surprisingly it still has a goodly amount of tannin, and I think the wine will be dead before these ever fully integrate. Nevertheless a good, mature wine, although for drinking soon I feel, preferably with food. 16.5/20 (July 2003)

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St Julien) 1961: There is perfume in abundance on the nose here, this being a lovely fresh, stylish, mineral wine in character. The palate has an elegance, a rounded and complete texture. It has a little plumpness, and a little creamy grip to it as well. It has a style which I admire, and I think I have rated this wine a little higher than a good number of other tasters on the night. Very good indeed. From a 1961 Bordeaux tasting. 17.5/20 (June 2007)