2023 Gruaud Larose
![Image](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.frw.co.uk%2Fmedia-lv2%2Fproduct-images%2Fparents%2F612ec2800700000000015289%2F762b1f22-77a8-467e-bb4f-920fded6e8a9_thumbnail.jpeg&w=640&q=99&dpl=dpl_F66VtjVPboQ2sZjHi3KihgLFA4Ae)
Buying options
Tasting Notes
Gruaud Larose’s 2023 is pretty, floral and perfumed, with restrained dark berry and powdered lavender notes. Bright, fresh acidity makes for a clean and lithe palate, with satiny fine-grained tannins. This is very polished already, with a stately, long finish. Only 12.62% alcohol. Aged in 95% new oak. Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc
Critic Scores
Average Score
Neal Martin, Vinous
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
Tobacco leaf, cedar, red, with black currants, wet earth, smoke, and blackberries crowd into the perfume. On the palate, the wine is bright, fresh, juicy, classic, firm, crisp, and chewy, with layers of spicy, black, and red berries that linger. There is lift, and precision in this modern version of a classic Bordeaux. Give it some time in the bottle to fill out, and it is going to be even better! 2023 is the second, fully-organic vintage for the vineyard. The wine is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc.12.62% ABV, 3.4 pH. Picking took place September 11 - September 25.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Gruaud Larose leaps with vibrant notes of cassis, fresh blackberries, and mulberries giving way to nuances of tapenade, iris, pencil shavings, and iron ore. The palate is light-bodied and airy, with beautiful poise and soft silky tannins, delivering a lively burst of mineral and red berry notes on the finish. This is nicely done! The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.80.
The 2023 Gruaud Larose was picked from September 11 to October 3 at 42hL/ha and matured in 95% new oak with 15% vin de presse. There was no saignée. There is a large difference between the Sarget and the Grand Vin this year: There’s much more complexity and purity here. Layers of blackberry, cedar and floral scents surface in the glass, all very composed with beautifully integrated oak (perhaps better than previous vintages). The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins—quite crisp and commendably saline, which really comes through toward the finish. This is a classic Gruaud Larose that confirms the ongoing improvement at this estate.
Related articles
About the producer
![Gruaud Larose 1:1](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fiv9w9q8xwqpv%2F3sYmPdpTOZdCR21AopPhSi%2F459169b8d6ca5ccd08458b95275dfb69%2FGruaud-Larose_1-1.jpg%3Fw%3D400%26h%3D400%26q%3D100%26fit%3Dfill&w=828&q=75&dpl=dpl_F66VtjVPboQ2sZjHi3KihgLFA4Ae)
Ch. Gruaud Larose is a Second Growth estate in Saint-Julien, Bordeaux. It is often considered one of the best-value Left Bank estates, with the wines occasionally matching those of the First Growths.