2018 Gruaud Larose (St-Julien)

67% Cabernet Sauvignon/24% Merlot/9% Cabernet Franc. Intense, blue fruit. Silky and fresh, and so complete it`s hard to pin down. An especially good showing this year. (NT 30/04/19)
Origin
St-Julien, Medoc, Bordeaux FRANCE
Colour
red
Wine Style
dry
Dominant Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Closure Style
cork
Maturity
young
Bottle Size
75cl
Case Quantity
6
Alcohol
14.5%
Wine Score
94 points, Jane Anson, decanter.com, April 2019
16 points, Julia Harding, jancisrobinson.com, April 2019
95-97 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com, April 2019
89-92 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, April 2019
94-96 points, Chris Kissack,

This product is delisted and unavailable for sale.

2018 Gruaud Larose (St-Julien)

Media Reviews

Jane Anson

This is good quality, not exactly generous but clearly carefully extracted - they kept the simultaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentations to between 24°C and 26°C. It`s packed full of flavour, with real precision to the fruit. Bramble and hedgerow scents suggest a firm acidity and a structure that`s built to last, while still being appetising and full of pleasure. As it opens in the glass, liquorice and dark chocolate come to the fore. A wine that will age well without question. 85% new oak. 94 points

Julia Harding

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc; 85% new oak. Darkest, smudgy black-cherry colour. Lifted cassis and a hint of tea leaf. Paper-fine layers of tannins but not a lot of juice on the palate. Savoury, dark but slightly flat finish. 16 points

Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2018 Gruaud Larose is blended of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.88 and 14.2% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with bold black cherries, mulberries, plum preserves and blackcurrant cordial scents with hints of menthol, lilacs, licorice and cloves plus wafts of fallen leaves and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied with a taut core of ripe, densely packed, muscular fruit, it has a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy. Very exotic Gruaud! 95-97 points

Antonio Galloni

The 2018 Gruaud Larose is inky, jammy and full-bodied. Crème de cassis, blackberry jam, spice, lavender and mint give the 2018 much of its extroverted personality. Gruaud Larose is one of the most extroverted wines on the Left Bank. The richness and elevated ripeness is evident in the 2018. It will be interesting to see what élevage brings. For my taste, Gruaud is on the edge of being too much. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. 89-92 points

Chris Kissack

The Gruaud blend this year is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 9% Cabernet F ranc. The declared alcohol is 14%. It has a rather reticent nose, already showing the tobacco leaf and sandalwood characters that typify this estate`s wine these days, but there is a suggestion of depth and substance here too. The palate shows an elegant repose, with a rather generous weight and somewhat sinewy substance, filled with gently grained tannins and imbued with lightly vanillin oak. Fresh, with a peppery energy, and elegant substance, this is a rather strong showing for Gruaud-Larose. While it does not recapture the spirit of the 2000 vintage, which was a truly great year for this estate, it is surely superior to many vintages I have tasted since. Well done. The élevage will be in 85% new oak and 15% second-fill oak, for 18 months. 94-96 points

If you like this you may also be interested in...