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2018 Château Gruaud-Larose

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

September 3, 2023 - $135

Estimate

RATINGS

97Jeb Dunnuck

...stunning nose of pure crème de cassis, cedar pencil shavings, blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality...flawless balance, a remarkable sense of purity, masses of tannins, and one hell of a great finish.

95James Suckling

Aromas of currants, blackberries, dried flowers, dark chocolate and tobacco leaves. Citrus zest, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, ultra fine tannins. Complex and layered with a juicy core of ripe fruit. Silky and delicious. Very creamy and fine-tannined.

94Wine Spectator

...mix of cassis, crushed plum and blackberry fruit flavors before a wave of bittersweet cocoa, tobacco, and iron score the finish.

94Wine Enthusiast

...densely textured and rich wine, this has power and concentration. Smoky tannins show strongly as well as juicy black-currant fruits...

92The Wine Advocate

...scents of blackberry preserves, baked plums and crème de cassis plus hints of fruitcake, Indian spices and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate offers bags of baked berries flavors and a chewy texture with just enough freshness, finishing spicy.

92Vinous / IWC

Ripe and sweet on attack...especially dense, flamboyant Saint-Julien. Inky red fruit, mocha, wild flowers and spice abound.

16.5Jancis Robinson

Tea-leaf aroma. Polished tannins and unusually sweet fruit... Fine boned and an agreeable, well-balanced claret.

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.