Château Gruaud Larose 2022

Delicate, floral, a hint of mocha, chocolate over dark cherry fruit; straightforward, gripping, fresh, lively, only 13.5% alcohol, lovely tension; crisp, red-fruited, slightly herbal bitter finish. Very elegant!

Bottled in May 2024, the 2022 Gruaud Larose has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, violets, vine smoke, pen ink and tar. Medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, it's rich and broad, with terrific depth at the core, sweet structuring tannins and a long, expansive finish. Checking in at 13.6% alcohol, it's the estate's first organic-certified vintage.

Compelling from the first sip, this has excellent balance on the palate delivering a wine with freshness and lift as well as depth and breadth. Lovely licks of bitterness and salty stones join ripe blackcurrants and juicy plums. You can feel the power no doubt but it's under the silky frame tempering it and making this rich but utterly charming. A great Gruaud and comes in at 13.5% ABV.

Quite a discreet nose of dark fruit and minerals, with excellent depth. Uncoiled power and intensity, with a full body and firm but polished tannins that dissolve into a long and close-knit finish. It goes on for almost a minute. Try from 2028.

Deep, layered and resonant, with tremendous persistence, the 2022 Gruaud Larose is a wine of notable pedigree and class. Black cherry, plum, menthol, sage, licorice and orange peel build in a wine of real substance and finesse. Swaths of tannin wrap around the long, sustained finish. This is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur.

Tobacco, cigar wrappers, licorice, spice, flowers, blackberries, and currants define the aromatic profile. From there, the palate unfolds with layers of ripe, round, polished, sweet black and dark red fruits. The concentrated mid-palate and finish conclude the experience with ample volume, length, vibrancy, and complexity. 2022 marks the first vintage Gruaud Larose was organically certified. The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029–2060.

Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and a delicate ochre rim. On the nose, aromas of delicate nougat, plum, ripe black cherry, and candied orange peel. The palate is juicy, elegant and balanced with fine fruit, ripe, fine tannins, balanced and persistent, a wine with ageing potential and a sure development trajectory. (25/1, +40, PM).

Savory, intense and enjoyable, Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in the blend and in character, balanced, refined, with charcoal and campfire notes, cassis, blueberry and pomegranate—good stuff.

A pure, classic nose, like an English garden, with aromas of redcurrant, blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf. On the palate, the texture is silky, delivering the exquisite sensation of wrapping yourself in silk sheets. The overall impression is floral and delicate, with fruit that is both very fresh and enveloping. An absolute success.

The bouquet of Gruaud Larose lays down the opening markers without beating around the bush, with confidence, serenity and great tact. This wine has never sought flashiness, but it likes to shore up its ambitions in a clear, limpid way. The élevage does exactly what makes it so valuable: it supports all the aromatic elements, wrapping them and bringing them to center stage. Everything is coherent, nothing sticks out, yet everything is devoted to opening horizons dedicated to dreams, pleasure, to Epicurus! Such depth, delicacy and harmony. And let me remind you that I’m only describing the bouquet for now… On the palate, the wine has the great merit of perfectly embracing all the promises of the bouquet. It is deep, linear, subtle, and supported by perfectly integrated tannins that not only provide an extraordinary foundation, but also go hand in hand with the incisive side of the structure, which is also mouthwatering. This wine is not only one of the great successes of Gruaud-Larose; it belongs in the Hall of Fame of Bordeaux 2022. An exceptional wine that is only at the very beginning of its journey. It will convince over the years; as for me, it already has today. If need be, I will raise the score later…

Black color with purplish-red highlights. Very aromatic nose, delicately fruity, pure, subtle, ripe, fresh and floral. Meticulous texture from the attack; the wine becomes highly aromatic on the mid-palate, with a uniquely gentle, velvety grace for this appellation. It reminds me of the 1947. The wine melts on the palate while springing back on the finish—long, sappy and captivating. Blend: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol: 13.64% (average) - pH: 3.8 (above average). Yield: 30 hl/ha. First certified-organic vintage. To celebrate, the cru has subtly changed its label: two storks replace the two lions around the crest. A heads-up for collectors!