Château Gruaud Larose 2011 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Delicate and suave in texture, not very full-bodied but very refined in its tannin and diversified in its bouquet, with a light touch of characteristic coffee.

About the domain :

The Château's vast vineyard is located on one of the most sumptuous and homogeneous plateaux of deep gravel in the Médoc. Since 1997, it has belonged to the Merlaut family. Few Médoc crus, even among the Premiers, can boast a terroir as homogeneous, despite its surface area, as Gruaud-Larose. One might imagine that 80% of the vines produce the grand vin, but here the selection process is even more rigorous, which is particularly noticeable in the grand vin, which is ideally full-bodied and harmonious, and even more precise in the last three years thanks to a new, feminine generation of more rigorous and inspired vineyard managers and cellar masters. By its very nature, it rarely dries out with age, and 50-year-old bottles like the 1962 or 1961 are as impressive as ever.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

In keeping with the appellation and house style, the 2011 is an intense, elegant wine. On the nose, black and red fruits blend seamlessly with toast, spices and vanilla. A supple, fresh attack introduces an ample, fleshy, sappy palate, powerful without excess, built on silky, fine-grained tannins. A racy, well-balanced Saint-Julien, built to age well.

About the domain :

Created in the early 18th century by the Gruaud family, the estate passed into the hands of the Larose family in 1771, who added their name and had the neoclassical château built. In 1812, the Balguerie and Sarget families bought the estate, then separated, giving rise to Gruaud Larose-Bethmann and Gruaud Larose-Sarget. Reunification came in 1934, thanks to Désiré Cordier. Sold in 1983 to institutional investors, Gruaud Larose was bought out in 1997 by the Taillan (Merlaut) family group, which now heads a vast 82-hectare vineyard, almost in a single block.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Beautiful work in the direction of a racy but very tasty wine with juicy cherry fruit. The tannins are very fine but have yet to soften, as evidenced by the already subtle length. Already charming, it promises much pleasure.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Rich, evolved, notes of cedar, blackcurrant and cherry are present in this dark ruby-colored 2011. With medium body, pleasing ripeness and fruit, good purity and depth, and no herbaceous character or hardness, it's precocious, flattering, inviting, and suggests it will drink well for 10-15 years.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 2011 is another success for this vintage which, while retaining its fine substance, manages to combine it with the refinement that was sometimes a little lacking.

About the domain :

Ideally situated, the vineyard occupies a perfectly homogeneous plateau of deep gravel in the southern part of the Saint-Julien commune, where the vines flourish remarkably well. Known for producing powerful wines in the 1980s and 1990s, often with a slightly animal definition, the cru offers more precise aromas in recent vintages. The Merlaut family has optimized the technical facilities made possible by the Alcatel group, the short-lived owner. They have also chosen to give Gruaud Larose wines a more fruity, gourmet profile, to make them more accessible in their youth. Recent vintages show progress in this direction, with wines that have also gained in precision. The pricing policy advocated by Jean Merlaut means that Gruaud is still an affordable brand, which we are delighted about.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

This is a powerfully oaky wine, with more wood spice than fruit at this stage. Structured, powerful but restrained, it will need time to express itself fully.