Château Gruaud Larose 2021

Après avoir dégusté Le Sarget on peut, sans le devoir, partir du principe que Gruaud Larose a des arguments à faire valoir ! Il se profile avec assurance et pertinence, de manière linéaire. Précis et élégant, le vin dispose de tannins compacts et veloutés qui créent une belle assise en compagnie de la structure acide. Le vin bénéficie ainsi de largeur et de tempérament tout en usant de sa puissance de manière sereine et précise. Un Gruaud Larose qui se caractérise par un sens aigu du détail, de la subtilité et qui assume brillamment le millésime 2021 en se plaçant devant lui. 2027-2051. Novembre 2023.

Black peppercorns, tobacco, ash, vanilla, cinnamon and cedar spice. A gorgeous mouthfeel straight away, the tannins so plump, not heavy or opulent but filling and ripe. This has a charming gentle aspect - a smooth, sleek texture with concentration. Supple and agile, there is lots of energy here, filled with red fruit flavours that have a delicate, sweet liquorice edge. Acidity does not overtake the fruit at all, just lifts the palate all the way through. Excellent work, immensely pleasurable, well framed with promise for long ageing. More Cabernet in the blend than usual. Ageing 14 months in French oak barrels, 15% new, the rest one year old. Drinking window: 2027 - 2048. Georgina Hindle. April 2022.

Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Superbe nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr, suave, floral et subtil. Très belle odeur de cabernet sauvignon à l'agitation du verre (84 %). Délicat en entrée de bouche, très parfumé au milieu, le vin fond au palais, juteux et noble dans son toucher et son déroulé. Finale gracieuse, savoureuse et très aromatique. Style bourguignon. Une présence en bouche incroyable pour un tout petit degré d'alcool de 12°5. Un joli rendu pour à peine trois mois de bouteille. Assemblage final : 84 % cabernet sauvignon, 4 % cabernet franc et 12 % merlot. Septembre 2023.

The 2021 Gruaud Larose is very impressive, exhibiting deep aromas of wild berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of licorice, violets and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's impressively rich and layered, with lively acids and ripe tannins, it concludes with a pure and penetrating finish. Classically balanced and intensely flavored, it's an elegant, beautifully made wine that is well worth seeking out. Three beautiful parcels of recently planted Cabernet Sauvignon, situated on deep gravel ideally adapted to this variety but hitherto planted with Merlot, make a contribution to the blend this year; but that's only one of the factors that explain why Gruaud has produced a 2021 that looks set to rival or surpass even recent and more propitious vintages such as 2018. The blend is fully 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by 12% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, and it checks in at 12.5% alcohol. Congratulations are in order for technical director Virginie Sallette and the entire team at Gruaud Larose! Tasted twice. In the last few years, Gruaud Larose has been transformed. This 92-hectare vineyard, occupying a single block on the plateau of Saint-Julien, has been extensively restructured: in the past, Merlot, susceptible to frost, had been planted in the highest parts of the vineyards for protection—but those just happened to be the sites best adapted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, varieties and soil types are better matched (50% of the vineyard has been replanted); yields are lower, and farming is better: 2019 marked the beginning of organic conversion, but beyond that, the aspiration is to create a durable ecosystem, with wildlife corridors, agroforestry (3,000 trees have been planted), insect houses and so on; soils are worked less often and less deeply and sowed with cover crops. In the winery, the fruit sees multiple sorting before macerations that are gentle but protracted, at comparatively low temperatures, and great attention is paid to selecting which lots of press wine to include in the blend. The results are compelling. This doesn't mark a return to the muscular, rich, rustic style of the Cordier era's heyday but nor does contemporary Gruaud Larose have anything in common with the rather lean, malnourished wines frequently produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Instead, we are learning that Gruaud Larose can produce wines that are both elegant and intense. When reviewing the 2019 earlier this year, I suggested that this château seemed to be on the cusp of a new golden era, and this immensely strong showing in the 2021 vintage tends to confirm that supposition. 94-95/100. William Kelley. April 2022.