Château Gruaud Larose 2023

Still waters run deep, a wine that radiates calm, incense, tobacco; dark fruit; on the palate, power and finesse meet, concentrated, powerful, with tension and drive, extremely crisp, a mineral-driven finish. An impressive Gruaud of classic build.

A complete knockout of a wine in 2023. Deep, vibrant purple in colour. Lots of milk chocolate, some exotic spices and black fruit touches on the nose, along with floral scents of roses and violets – it smells gorgeous. Supple and filling, with immediate weight and texture on the palate, thick silk and ripe fruit, massy but then almost straight away quite clean and crisp. Forward and focused, RE tannins are supportive but so well integrated into the wine – an almost seamless expression – with plenty of underlying power. It’s delicious. Very drinkable, finessed and restrained, nothing overdone, no harshness. Everything feels in its place. Juicy, succulent cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry with high, mouthwatering acidity. A great wine; I love it because it’s layered and lifted; you can feel the sculpting with muscles on show and it feels very “put together.” There’s lots of strict Cabernet, but this has a touch of plushness you can’t help but smile at. A top buy in 2023. 40% grand production, taken from 60% of the estate. 15% press wine.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Cassis, ripe plum and heart cherry, some nougat, delicate herbal savouriness, with candied orange zest in the background. Juicy, elegant, fine fruit sweetness, delicate acidity, already harmonious and accessible, heart cherry on the finish, a charming food companion with development and certain ageing potential.

Vibrant colour that signals a great En Primeur wine, with the bright acidities that seem typical of these appellations in 2023. More subdued than some sibling St Juliens, this has a serious feel, with the Cabernets very much on the savoury, stately side, sinewy, with touches of raspberry leaf and peony, fragrant and floral. Plenty of ageing capacity ahead, but don’t feel you’ll have to wait too long to start drinking. Old-school and delicious. Cabernet levels are above 80%, as they have been for the past few years, a result of the vines reaching the right age after extensive replanting.

Tobacco leaf, cedar, red currants, black currants, wet earth, smoke, and blackberries crowd the nose. 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 take on a classic Bordeaux. Give it some time in bottle to fill out, and it’s 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 11–25. Drink from 2029–2060. 93–95 pts.