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1986 Château Gruaud-Larose

Light capsule condition issue; signs of past seepage; base neck fill; light label condition issue

Minimum Bid is $140
Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

ITEM 10559417 - Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Consignor is original owner

Bidder Amount Total
$140
Item Sold Amount Date
I10549854 1 $140 Dec 21, 2025
I10510152 1 $150 Nov 30, 2025
I10510149 1 $150 Nov 30, 2025
I10510153 1 $150 Nov 30, 2025
I10499992 1 $165 Nov 23, 2025
I10459078 1 $145 Oct 26, 2025
I10447115 1 $145 Oct 19, 2025
I10446335 1 $145 Oct 19, 2025
I10433028 1 $145 Oct 12, 2025
I10409103 1 $140 Oct 5, 2025
1986 Château Gruaud-Larose

RATINGS

95The Wine Advocate

...aromas of blackcurrants, cigar ash, loamy soil, pencil shavings and subtle hints of smoked meats. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated...with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and an abundance of powdery structuring tannin.

95Vinous / IWC

Brooding nose offers perfumed blackcurrant, mineral, violet and quinine aromas. Big, dense and rich, conveying an impression of strong extract to the powerful, well-delineated blackberry and herb flavors. The long, tactile finish features chewy but polished tannins and a lingering floral note.

95Decanter Magazine (points)

Surprisingly delicate... Fine powdery tannin. Lovely freshness that opened beautifully in the glass. There is a touch of grip on the finish that would lend well to robust dishes...

93.2CellarTracker

16Jancis Robinson

****Decanter Magazine (stars)

Lean, elegant cedar and cassis aromas. Quite rich and austere.

PRODUCER

Château Gruaud-Larose

Château Gruaud-Larose is a Deuxieme Cru, or Second Growth Bordeaux located in St.-Julien-Beychevelle. The estate was founded in 1725 by Joseph Stanislas Gruaud. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the estate remained under the ownership of descendants of Gruaud, though at the end of the 20th century it was purchased several times by corporations. In 1997 it was acquired by the Taillan Group, which owns several other Bordeaux estates. Jacques Merlaut is head of the group and proprietor of the estate. Merlaut has made significant improvements in the recent decade, and many reviewers now note that Gruaud-Larose has become a far more elegant wine. Gruaud-Larose is comprised of 202 acres planted to 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 7.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Malbec. About 300,000 bottles are produced annually.

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Julien

Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards. It is just south of Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde, and although it has no First Growth châteaux, its 11 Classified Growth estates are widely admired. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that winemaking in Saint-Julien from all classifications “is consistently both distinctive and brilliant.” He adds it is Médoc’s “most underrated commune.” The best-known estates are Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton and Gruaud Larose, and most of those have riverside estates. The soil in this appellation is gravelly with clay. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape grown, and it is blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes small amounts of Petit Verdot.