Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

This 86 from G-L was everything it should have been- quite a sound bottle, very Cordier, with barnyard and bandaid aromas. Tertiary but nice color pigment on the double decant. Dense, concentrated and highly tannic, this bottle will continue to remain in balance for another decade if my example is a bellwether.

1986 vintage

Last of 18 bottles bought in 1984. Took along on a cruise so a bit shaken up. Still excellent. 96 by tomorrow I hope..

1982 vintage

Saturday at Josh's (Josh's place) : The ideal bottle for this occasion: not only did it come from the host's birth year, but it was such a perfect lazy weekend afternoon wine, like settling into the fabled comfortable chair. Warm, well-evolved fruit, with smoke (but a lot less than the '85 I drank last month) and leather, and plenty of refreshment too. In that great place where the fruit and savoury side have merged into a pleasing totality that's greater …

1986 vintage

Lunch at mine : Difficult to be objective about this wine because I bought it at a time when spending this on a bottle was a huge extravagance- but wanted something from my birth year. So to finally open it, and for it to be in such a good spot at a really nice occasion was quite special. Mature but energetic and it has lots in the tank - tobacco, cedar, leather, violet, blackcurrant and plum. A pleasant hint of …

1986 vintage

on nose: manure, earth, barnyard, tobacco, leather, no fruit. Very powerfully potent and nice nose. On palate: lots of spices, mild tanin, very long finish, crushed rock, tobacco. WOTN Wines of the night: 1985 Louis Latour Corton Grancey (burgundy), 96 1986 gruaud larose, 96.5 1989 leoville las cases, 95

1986 vintage

Something of a miracle bottle. I noticed some leakage as I pulled the bottle, but the fill looked good. Removing the capsule, I found the cork was not in the neck, but rather, floating down in the wine....the capsule alone had kept the wine from pouring out into my cellar! I assumed the worst (fully oxidized wine), but found it completely intact. Not the very best bottle of this wine I've had, but very enjoyable. Aged BDX fruit, fresh pipe …

1986 vintage

Subsequent notes on this wine from 10 years ago. Dark garnet in color with slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of mature, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries, & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty notes, mint, some tar, leather, dried herbs, spices, truffles, minerals & smoky notes in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, complex, …

1986 vintage

Couldn’t ask for more from this wine. Nose & fruit. Very good. Fully enjoyed

1982 vintage

St. Julien lunch (YH Beijing, SF) : Textbook Gruaud, dark and masculine, gravel, leather and black plum, backwards yet somewhat medium bodied, but not as beastly as some other 86s, and is starting to open up. Would go well with a steak. I appreciate this more than I love it.

1986 vintage

Bought my wife’s birth year wine from Hedonism in London 2 wks ago to celebrate her birthday. Pale garnet with onion rim in appearance. On the nose, the wine is a little funky, chicken stock upon opening. With some breathing, the fruit starts to surface with dry fig, dry plum, red date, black tea, green olives and subtle rosemary. On the palate, it aligns with nose, topped with chocolate and savoury finish. Certainly an old Bordeaux that is more tertiary …

1988 vintage

St. Julien Lunch (YH Beijing - SF) : Some folks detected brett on the nose, but it was not particularly noticeable to me. What I get texturally is an extremely refined silkiness, finely tuned and supple, that glides, caresses, and hovers in the mouth and over the palate. The mouthfeel really is extraordinary. The dark-fruited flavors seemed a little quiet and subtle, while the tannins are still assertive, but there seems to be something sneaky great lurking within all of …

1986 vintage

Opened this for a friend last night. He was impressed. Great antique character with beautifully youthful shimmer and polish. Such a great Bordeaux that seems to be shifting gears once more. Last night was definitely more about the seductive side of Bordeaux, vs. the jubilance and charm of a wicked claret. Library books and the decaying, wooden underbelly of an old villa...Drink!

1982 vintage

Nose: smoke, cedar, herbal, black fruits, leather, truffles Notes: 12.5% ABV. This is pretty smooth with a nice palate and aftertaste. Classic Saint Julien nose with plenty of cedar and smoke. Secondary notes are starting to appear and like many other 1996s this is drinking really well now. All things considered I found this wine to be quite light in Bordeaux standards and the balance here is quite admirable. This is the type of Bordeaux that doesn't make you filled …

1996 vintage

Give this 60-90 minutes to breathe and watch the magic unfold.... everything is in balance now, bright red fruit, seamless tannins, herbs, tobacco and a touch of leather. Absolutely delicious and ready to drink. Has many years in front of it. Would I buy again: yes 95 points - outstanding St Julien

2015 vintage

Glas: Riedel Performance Shiraz Deep dark red, fully intact, with only a slightly browned rim; remarkably youthful for its age. This wine is a shape-shifter: For the first 4 hours it’s a bit of a beast, led by leather, stable/horse-sweat and earthy, rustic Médoc character, with fruit only peeking through underneath. Not everyone’s cup of tea early on. Give it time, though, and it turns into a graceful beauty (suddenly much more “everybody’s darling” for Bordeaux lovers). As it opens, …

1986 vintage

Tasting of seven first and second growths and one fourth growth from 1986, this was fully mature, showing really well and was in the top four wines with strong tertiary notes of leather, cassis and really good fruit. A lovely wine & an absolute pleasure to drink!

1986 vintage

Bottle was re-corked in 2021. I agreed with this review: Red-brown in the glass with clear bricking towards the rim, showing significant evolution. The nose is pronounced with developed tertiary complexity, offering stable and barnyard notes, cigar box, unsmoked pipe tobacco, leather and hints of dried red fruit. On the palate the wine is dry, with medium(+) acidity giving a surprisingly lively and slender impression, supported by good length. Flavours are consistent with the nose, showing secondary and tertiary characters …

1988 vintage

In a nice drinking window today. Dark brambly fruit but with plenty of freshness and vibrancy. Dark wet earth and loam. Leather and some herbal notes. Very enjoyable.

2010 vintage

What more can we add here to this beautiful wine other than it’s even better than the bottles we tried so far ( Papies 92-93 over the last decade or so). We love 1996 left bank and these St Julien’s even more and they make for great drinking and will continue for the next decade. Easy 94

1996 vintage

Can smell it a foot away from the glass! Sticking my sniffer in the glass and you get wafts of pencil shavings, blueberries, blackberries, brambles and leather. The palate is really gentle and wonderfully placed with deep black plum and blackerries. Cigar box rides out the warm finish. Delish. Drunk at Camille, Borough

1996 vintage

Lovely nose of subtle perfume. Mature, but still has freshness and fruit. Lovely. Don’t delay, but no rush yet.

1996 vintage

Tasted as part of an episode of "OurPourDecisions" on 1982 Bordeaux. As expected, the nose had some good funk to it and definitely lives up to the "le gout Cordier". Very enjoyable and a lot of fun to drink if you like some St. Julien animal / meaty notes.

1982 vintage

On nose: mega barnyard, manure, very potent, herbaceous, hint of Marijuana. Strongest barnyard nose I have experienced. On palate: leather, tobacco, smoke, spices, nice long finish, tons of teriatary flavor, high acid. Other wines of the night: '82 Palmer '90 lalande This and the Palmer were show stoppers of the night.

1982 vintage

Wine comparison for the evening: 1982 Gruaud Larose (98) 1982 Palmer (97) 1990 Pichon Lalande (94) This was my first time tasting Gruaud Larose, and what a stunner it was. The nose was powerful and expressive, dominated by classic barnyard aromatics, intense yet beautifully balanced, and even more potent than the 1982 Palmer. On the palate, the wine was light-bodied and silky, yet delivered remarkable flavor concentration. The tannins arrived late but were mellow and well integrated. Acidity was higher …

1982 vintage

2 hour splash decant. Initially quite closed and muscular. Medium body. After the decant this softened and became more supple and quite balanced. Dark fruits with some sweet but also savory and slightly bitter notes. If this had more depth and complexity I’d rate it higher. Drinking well now with years of possible upside ahead.

2015 vintage

NYE beverage. Double decant, ready to go. Suave. Drink 2026-2045

2015 vintage

Medium garnet colour. Pronounced, complex nose - dried cassis, clove, smoke, toast, Indian spices, cardamom, tobacco, cedar. Fresh acidity, soft chalky tannins, long finish. Outstanding mature St Julien, still drinking beautifully - a wine to linger over. Cork disintegrated on opening but this had no noticeable impact on the wine - this was only sign that the wine had not been stored in perfect conditions.

1989 vintage

Great nose with hints of leather, tobacco, earth, cherry and vineyard floor. The taste had many layers. Great with steak with a long finish.

1989 vintage

2026 New Year's Day Double Blind Tasting (Atlanta, GA) : Back-up wines... non-blind with some single blind. '82 Gruaud Larose has got to be the best value left bank Bordeaux from this vintage. It clearly ranks up there with the first growths and '82 Pichon Lalande. I love Cordier Gruaud from the 80's due to the bretty funk that they allow in the bottle. While it is not a clean or pure wine, I love a little junk in my …

1982 vintage

Mid shoulder fill and soaked cork. Was angular with clipped finish upon opening, but 2hrs later had filled out (no decant). Fantastic aromatics from the beginning, with cedar spice, tobacco and hints of barnyard notes. Everything you could want from mature bdx on the nose. Palate was fine, a but thin and acidic, but broadened with air. Tertiary fruit, minimal tannins as it seems integrated (first for a '86?) and lengthy iron and blood infused finish. Maybe doesn't have the …

1986 vintage

1st wine in a Left Bank flight on NYEE, heading north.

2010 vintage

Delicious, perfect pairing with Foie Gras and grilled steak. Dark garnet/plum/purple colored, full bodied, full tannins and dense but balanced, smooth, polished and elegant, ripe dark raspberry, red and black currant and blueberry fruits with “loads of spice, earth, underbrush, licorice, and a hint of Provencal garrigue”, with silky tannins and a beautifully integrated tannin structure on a long and ‘very’ refined tannic structure. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2025/12/new-years-eve-celebration-dinner.html

2010 vintage

definitely on the more mature end of the spectrum but still showing good vibrancy. initially a little restrained, a touch of barnyard, with time in glass, the bouquet blossoms exhibiting woody, spicy, dusty and tobacco notes with attractive cassis hovering above. palate is on the leaner side, more herbal and sanguine. very pretty. can understand why some feel it lacks depth but with the right accompaniment (we’re sipping this with charcuterie), it is delightful.

1986 vintage

Was hoping for more. Seemed a bit thin and acidic on first opening, but nose became more complex after a hour decanting

1986 vintage

A BYO. Tasting notes as previous.

1982 vintage

Lovely wine that has matured beautifully. Medium garnet in colour. The nose has medium (+) intensity with aromas of dried blackcurrant, black cherry, black plum, cedar, graphite, forest floor, earth and a touch of VA that makes the wine very appealing. The palate is classically Bordeaux with medium (+) acidity and medium (13%) alcohol. The tannins are still medium, very well crafted and smooth making for a very nice mouth feel. It has a medium body and a long persistent …

1996 vintage

Pretty good. Cool, clean (zero funk), strict, all graphite. Nicely smoothed by time leaving a pleasing roundness of the midpalate but overall lean, bone dry and lacking much pizzazz. Ready to go but holding.

1986 vintage

I’m enjoying this. Maturing garnet color. Secondary fruit sweetness, tobacco and cedar closet dominate the nose. Traditional styling with elevated acidity of the vintage. Medium body. A food claret that rounds out with a piece of protein. Drink at peak maturity yet should hold for a few more years. Not a top wine from the vintage but solid. (92)

1996 vintage

Super healthy and translucent, the wine has been under my care for over 20 years. The cork was as it should, a soaked defender against the fine barrier of the wine against the world. Great ullage, VHS. Notes of raisin and sous bois later transitioned into sweet tamarind, stewed plum and faint barnyard and cold earth. The wine shined on getting better and better and showing very complex and elegant, but was lost in the sea of other younger, louder …

1981 vintage

I did not take careful notes, but this seemed quieter than the 1988 Rausan Segla I had with this. Very restrained, almost withdrawn in comparison to the showier wine that night, but had plenty of interesting cured tobacco and leather notes on top of its subtle dark fruit. I am going to revisit this wine in a couple of months, so will take more careful notes then.

1986 vintage

great tasting at this age with some air after approx 30min. classic st julian style.

1989 vintage

This bottle had an upper shoulder fill and revealed signs of slight seepage upon removing the capsule. Regardless, the wine poured into the decanter with light revealing a bright ruby core. Aromatics wafted out of the decanter with no signs of oxidation. In the glass, the nose initially had some old attic mustiness, but this blew off around 30m-1hr. All the classic Bordeaux descriptors of cassis, cigar, tobacco, leather all apply here, but what stands out is a unique spiced …

1988 vintage

Four hour decant. Cork was in good shape. Wonderful nose, delightful drink over about 3 hours.

1982 vintage

*The annual indulgence in the remaining bottles of this wine to remind me of the magnificence of antique Bordeaux. Years ago I remember someone saying this smelled like old books, I thought wow! That really nails it. Years later I bought an old vintage villa and had to build a wine cellar in it. I remember crawling the under layers of the house with my cellar builder and I told him that the houses guts smell like an 82' Gruaud …

1982 vintage

Holiday Champagne Gala (Conway Farms CC - Lake Forest IL) : Small glass. Rich and well spiced black plum and cherry with grilled meat. Plenty of structure but it is out of the limelight, so very well balanced today. One of the best showings I have ever had for this wine.

1986 vintage

ESTG Year-End Tasting (Newcastle, WA) : Mmm, bretty, gamey, leafy, tobacco. This is fairly lean and austere and is a much lighter wine than the 1986, but it is a glorious bottle of Bordeaux.

1982 vintage

Awesome Classic Bordeaux. Decanted for 3 hrs. Great barnyard nose--strong mineral aspect. Tobacco, granite, lead, leather--somewhat muted black fruit but I loved this wine. the cork was perfect, no sediment, no bricking--it has been kept cellared at 55 degrees for 34 yrs.

1989 vintage

Just beautiful and in an ideal window for my taste. Tertiary but not monochromatically so. Good amount of life left and layers of complexity to explore. Ultimately, just really enjoyed it. Nose full of dried strawberry, prune, stewed tomato, licorice, balsa wood, black tea and roasted game. Palate has fallen into a somewhat watery state with regards to texture, with most tannic or acidic heft largely stripped from it, but still enough residual structure to carry the wine.

1996 vintage

Late released bottle , reconditioned by the chateau. A wine we have had a dozen times in the last 14 years and has had its ups and downs with us. This reconditioned bottle we found a bit cold albeit had all the hallmarks of greatness still didn’t work. Like a beauty queen at a pageant we said , all elements taken care for to perfection but that does not mean the the package put together is something we would like …

1989 vintage

Dark berries and sweet spices as well as vanilla in the bouquet. On the palate the same impressions, firm acidity, depth, creamy, some bitterness and a good length. Very early maturity stage. 93 - 94

2010 vintage

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Chateau Gruaud Larose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

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