Château Gruaud Larose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 1989
Very dark, inky appearance, almost black but with a vibrant purple rim; attractive nose of deep red fruits with spice, chocolate and oak for complexity; great clarity of fruit fully ripe and creamy on the palate. Admirable balance and poise, neither fat nor lean, with a fine, peppery grip and a final hint of sweet, caramelly oak on the finish. Very good indeed, and definitely a keeper.
critic reviews
The 1989 Gruaud Larose is a wine that I have tasted a dozen or so times since back in 2001, most recently in 2012. The bottle was poured against several Californian wines that might be unfair, however, I do feel that this vintage has maybe peaked several years ago. Here it was well defined on the nose as usual, with scents of undergrowth, sandalwood and a touch of sage. It certainly lacks the joie-de-vivre that I expect. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, nicely judged acidity and quite compact black fruit, though this is a little more staid than before, certainly lacking the flamboyance of the 1990 Gruaud (for example). It is a thoroughly decent Gruaud that just fails to engage the same way as previous examples. Tasted over dinner at Chez Bruce.