Château Gruaud Larose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2022

A very Cabernet-focused blend on the 2022 Gruaud, with 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, with the 14% remaining being all Merlot. It starts with a dark, brooding and savoury character on the nose, with threads of liquorice, tar, currant and smoke, but this is nuanced with a little white peach and sandalwood lift. The palate is fresh and supple, textural with plenty of dark fruit substance, and riven with ripe and beautifully integrated tannins, giving the palate a real sense of grip and lift. There is a significant tannic grip here, but it is so ripe and tightly knit, and it sits cohesively integrated in the body of the wine. The finish is a delight, a long and lingering presence of dark fruits and powdery, smoky, close-knit tannins. This structure will surely carry this wine forward for decades;this is surely a return to form for Gruaud-Larose, reminiscent of the great 2000 vintage. It is certainly one of the better vintages I have tasted here in recent times, at the very least. Tasted twice. The alcohol on the label is 13.5%.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2059

date of review 06/2025

Savoury, intense, enjoyable, Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in blend and character, balanced, finessed, charcoal and campfire, cassis, blueberry and pomegranate, good stuff.

DRINKING WINDOW 2029 - 2044

date of review 03/2025

The 2022 Gruaud Larose, the first year made organically, left a big impression when tasted from barrel, evoking some of the legendary wines from the estate encountered in the past. Bottled in May 2024, it has a supremely well-defined bouquet featuring intense black fruit laced with pencil box and forest floor scents. Typically Saint-Julien in style—this communicates where it comes from. The palate is fresh and vibrant. This is a more structured and delineated Gruaud than previous vintages, with greater brightness. It has "clean lines," so to speak, gently fanning out toward the finish that contains just the right amount of sapidity and becomes peppery with time in the glass. This is an outstanding success that completely justifies my positive review—who knows, it may kick on from bottle.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2070

date of review 02/2025