Château Gruaud Larose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2022
Tasted at UGC, notes of cassis, pencil shavings and some florality. Clear Cabernet character here. Gruaud has not been at its best in recent years, but this marks a return to form with plush, polished red plums, bilberry, cherry pits and black raspberry on its generous, yet focussed palate. Framed by fine-grained tannins; this has energy and good contours. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
The 2022 Gruaud Larose is a step up from Branaire-Ducru in terms of complexity and delineation, quite minerally, nicely focused with tobacco and espresso-tinged blackberry. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite structured and austere, especially towards the very Saint-Estèphe-like finish. Like other Saint-Juliens, I do not feel this is representative. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
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%.
Savoury, intense, enjoyable, Cabernet Sauvignon dominant in blend and character, balanced, finessed, charcoal and campfire, cassis, blueberry and pomegranate, good stuff.
The progress at this estate continues with the terrific 2022 Gruaud Larose, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc that unfurls in the glass with deep aromas of minty blackberries, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's elegantly muscular, with a broad attack that segues into a concentrated mid-palate framed by supple, powdery tannins. Richer and more brooding than its 2020 and 2019 counterparts, it confirms Gruaud's return to the Saint-Julien elite. Around one-third of the production made it into the grand vin this year, the chateau's first with organic certification.