Château Gruaud-Larose 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Gruaud-Larose

Gruaud Larose is named after the two people who created the estate.

In 1725, Abbot Gruaud, bought 50 hectares of land and planted vines there. His nephew, Chevalier de Larose, inherited the property in 1781 and the vineyard grew to 80 hectares under his ownership. Seeing that there were no heirs, Gruaud Larose was jointly purchased by two families at auction in 1812. However, their relations soured and the vineyard was divided into two parts in 1865. In 1934, the Cordier family reunited the estate.

It has belonged to the Merlaut family since 1997. They have introduced sustainable development and organic farming methods in the vineyard. The terroir consists of slopes of deep Garonne gravel from the Quaternary Period (about 700,000 years ago) where Cabernet Sauvignon is king – as befits a wine whose motto is “The King of Wines and the Wine of Kings”.

Château Gruaud Larose is one of the most historic estates in the Médoc. Its size has hardly changed through the centuries and today deserves its second growth status in the 1855 classification more than ever.

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.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

In the Vineyard

In the Winery

Where in the World is Gruaud-Larose?

Gruaud-Larose is in Saint-Julien, Medoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.